The YMCA of Greater Michiana is offering new details about how its planned downtown South Bend child care center will operate, from classroom design to tuition assistance and staffing.
The center, located in the Leighton Healthplex, is expected to serve about 85 to 90 children from infancy through age 3 when it opens in late 2026 or early 2027. The project is being developed in partnership with the city, which is contributing funding for renovations.
Denise Peters, chief operating officer of the YMCA of Greater Michiana, said the facility will be designed to support both early learning and family needs.
“So when they bring their kids in, there’s gonna be several rooms. We’ll have infant rooms all the way up to the 3 year old toddler rooms… educational-based and meeting milestones for those age levels,” Peters said.
She said the YMCA plans to use age-appropriate curriculum and licensed staff to meet state requirements and developmental standards.
Affordability is also a key part of the project. Peters said the organization will offer income-based scholarships to help families manage the cost of care.
“The YMCA does offer scholarships… our goal is to get families within 10 to 20 to 12% of their income… quality childcare,” she said.
Peters said tuition rates have not yet been finalized.
Registration is expected to open closer to the facility’s launch. Peters said enrollment will depend on availability in each classroom and how quickly families apply.
“And so depending on what openings we have for that will probably depend and when people get their registrations in, that would probably be… one of the ways that we differentiate that,” she said.
The YMCA says it is also working to address staffing challenges that affect many child care providers. Peters said the organization focuses on supporting employees through training and professional development.
“We also have… a training mechanism… that we work with our team and we help them to get their accreditations that they need to be in licensed childcare and to continue to be educated and to grow in that area,” she said.
In addition to classrooms, the center will include indoor and outdoor play spaces and may incorporate youth programming offered elsewhere in the building.
Construction is underway, though Peters said weather and other factors could affect the timeline. The YMCA hopes the center will open by early 2027, with a possibility of launching sooner if work stays on schedule.
The project is intended to expand access to licensed child care in the city’s central business district, where options are currently limited.
