Children’s Aid Society Werner Early Learning Childcare Center

Wagman Construction is building a new, 15,368 SF facility for the Children’s Aid Society Southern PA District, transitioning services from their current location on W. Market Street to a newly built structure at West Poplar Street in York City called the Werner Early Learning Childcare Center. This new construction will take place on an empty lot previously used as the parking lot for Saint Paul’s United Methodist Church, one of the most economically disadvantaged areas in York City.

The $5 million Werner Early Learning Childcare Center will offer a range of essential services including child-centered creative arts, play and psychotherapies, a crisis respite nursery (one of only three in Pennsylvania), traditional day childcare, family advocacy, parent education, support groups, a 24-hour caregiver hotline, and a gently used children’s clothing and toy bank. These services aim to provide crucial support to families and help prevent child abuse and neglect.

The new building will allow the Children’s Aid Society to expand its crisis nursery and offer third-shift childcare services. This addresses a critical need in York County where licensed third-shift childcare is currently non-existent. The pandemic has exacerbated childcare challenges, leading to the permanent closure of 56 traditional day childcare facilities and the temporary closure of five, resulting in long waiting lists for the remaining centers. With 85-89% of eligible infants and toddlers (approximately 8,815 children) unserved in York County, this project will significantly enhance the availability and quality of childcare services in the region.