‘It’s still happening’

Though it appears that things have been quiet on the child care front in Holyoke, local organizers are still making progress in the creation of a new child care facility.

“We’re working hard. It’s just behind the scenes right now,” said Trisha Herman, project coordinator/executive director for the Holyoke Community Childcare Initiative and director of Phillips County Economic Development.

The demand for quality, affordable and accessible licensed child care in Holyoke is high, and the supply is extremely low. Locals recognized this need, and since creating HCCI a few years ago, the group has been planning and fundraising for a child care facility that will be built on land donated by Melissa Memorial Hospital north of MMH in the southeast part of Holyoke.

Herman said that when COVID-19 hit in 2020, HCCI decided to push pause on its fundraising efforts since the priorities of many funders changed during the pandemic. Unfortunately, that break lasted a little longer than HCCI originally thought it would.

In 2021, Herman has hit the ground running with grant applications.

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