None of the grants were more than $10,000 per location
A total of 65 child care centers across Hampshire, Franklin and Hampden counties have received small grants to boost their curriculum, assessment or teacher training.
The state Department of Early Education and Care with Wheelock College, Merrimack College and the United Way recently awarded a total of $2.8 million in Program Quality Improvement Grants to 445 day care centers in the state.
Some of the programs were larger ones such as the YMCA of Greater Springfield which received 10 grants for different after-school sites and others were awarded to smaller family day care centers.
Pamela J. Graves, owner and director of Pam’s Place in Agawam, said this was the first grant she ever applied for and was delighted to receive $8,425 to improve her program.
“We are purchasing new materials for the classroom to replace things that have been used and abused and we are doing some training for the curriculum piece and assessment piece,” she said.
It was a lot of work to apply for the grant for the center, which is licensed to teach up to 39 children between 2½ and 8 years old. She and her staff had to study many parts of the center and determine what needs to be improved.
One of the benefits was the center did not have a standard tool to assess students’ progress, with the exception of one that staff had created years ago. It now is using one provided by the state, Graves said.
“What we are looking for is to help programs to increase the quality of their programs and to give the tools to help them,” said Sarah Harding, director of operations and human resources for the Department of Early Education.
Using the Quality Rating and Improvement System, each program did a self-assessment. They looked at safety, leadership, curriculum and learning and other parts and submitted a plan for how to improve a level in one of the areas if funding was granted, Harding said.
Some requested money to bring in a class for teachers, others wanted to buy more diverse materials and others needed funds to improve their curriculum, she said.
The grants were small, with a cap of $10,000 on any of them. More than 900 centers applied, Harding said.
The Holyoke-Chicopee-Springfield Head Start won grants for 10 different sites across the area. Most were about $9,000, said Gladys L. Rivera, director of early education and program development.
Some of the funding will be used to train staff on the new evaluation tool. The centers will also purchase some items to improve safety in its outdoor playgrounds, she said.
“It was really about looking at and assessing yourself,” she said.
The YMCA of Greater Springfield received about $20,000, for six different programs.
“It improves the quality. We can adjust our curriculum and programs to meet different children’s needs,” said Kathleen A. Treglia, vice president of education and government regulations for the YMCA.
Several of the centers will also work with the Behavior Health network which will visit different sites and work with staff and children to better improve and manage problems with behavior, Treglia said.
Below, a list of child care centers that received grants
• Agawam: Pam’s Place Child Care Center Inc., The Kid’s Place
•Amherst: Community Action of Franklin, Hampshire and North Quabbin Regions - at the Amherst Community Child Care, Community Action of Franklin, Hampshire and North Quabbin Regions - at North Amherst
•Belchertown: Belchertown Day School
•Chicopee: YMCA of Greater Springfield’s School Out at Litwin, Holyoke.Chicopee.Springfield Head Start Inc. - Westover Early Childhood Center, Holyoke.Chicopee.Springfield Head Start Inc. - Westover Job Corp.
•Easthampton: Community Action of Franklin, Hampshire and North Quabbin Regions - at Easthampton
•East Longmeadow: The Kids Place
•Gill: Giving Tree School
•Greenfield: Community Action of Franklin, Hampshire and North Quabbin Regions at Washington Street, Community Action of Franklin, Hampshire and North Quabbin Regions - Greenfield Family Learning Center, Girls Club of Greenfield
•Hampden: YMCA of Greater Springfield’s School Out at GreenMeadows
•Holland: Tri-Community YMCA
•Holyoke: Holyoke.Chicopee.Springfield Head Start Inc.- Maple Street, Holyoke.Chicopee.Springfield Head Start Inc. - Churchill, The Kids Place
•Ludlow: Holyoke.Chicopee.Springfield Head Start Inc. - Parkside
•Monson: YMCA of Greater Springfield’s School Out at Quarry Hill
•Northampton: Community Action of Franklin, Hampshire and North Quabbin Regions - at Northampton, Community Action of Franklin, Hampshire and North Quabbin Regions - at Vernon Street, Community Action of Franklin, Hampshire and North Quabbin Regions - at Ryan Road
•Orange: Community Action of Franklin, Hampshire and North Quabbin Regions at North Orange
• Palmer: Quaboag Children’s Center
• Springfield: Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children - Goodstart Early Intervention Program, Clarendon Family Day Care, Holyoke.Chicopee.Springfield Head Start Inc.- Carew Street, The Kids Place, Holyoke.Chicopee.Springfield Head Start Inc.- Madison Avenue, Holyoke.Chicopee.Springfield Head Start Inc.- Riverview, Holyoke.Chicopee.Springfield Head Start Inc.- Eastern Avenue, Holyoke.Chicopee.Springfield Head Start Inc.- Mason Square, Acorn Learning Center, Clarendon Family Day Care - Alooah’s Family Day Care, Square One Kid Stop at Sumner Avenue, Clarendon Family Day Care - Ana Rivas, Cupcakes Family Day Care, Early Childhood Centers of Greater Springfield, New Beginnings Childcare Center, Square One at King Street, KinderCare Learning Center and Titi Elbas Day Care
•Turners Falls: Community Action of Franklin, Hampshire and North Quabbin Regions at Central Street and Community Action of Franklin, Hampshire and North Quabbin Regions at G Street
• Ware: Community Action of Franklin, Hampshire and North Quabbin Regions - at Ware and Kidstop Preschool Center
• Westfield: the Kids Place
• West Springfield: Cathy’s Child Care, Mittineague Methodist Community Preschool, YMCA of Greater Springfield’s School Out at Birch Park
•Wilbraham: Scantic Valley YMCA Child Development Center, The Kids Place, YMCA of Greater Springfield’s School Out at Soule Road, YMCA of Greater Springfield’s School Out at Stony Hill