West Point's second CDC opens for business

WEST POINT, N.Y. (Aug. 18, 2010) -- West Point youths unwrapped a giant, multimillion dollar present on Aug. 11 and couldn't wait to play with it.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Child Development Center at 140 Buckner Loop, kids clamored inside to tour their new "home away from home." They twirled around the dance studio, checked out the childcare classrooms and snacked inside the demonstration kitchen, where children can develop their culinary skills. The Lee Area CDC also features a 3,770-foot playground in the front and back of the facility for outdoor recreation and spacious technology, art and science rooms.

"It's like Christmas, right'" Anthony Brown, Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation director, asked the pre-kindergarten children.

The Lee Area CDC is one of more than 60 new facilities opening Army-wide, reaffirming a commitment made four years ago when the Army Family Covenant was launched. The goal across the Army is to increase child care capacity from 65 to 80 percent. The 15,085 square foot facility on West Point will service an additional 135 children on post, and supplements the existing Child Development and School Age Centers.

"This enormous investment is a testament to our serious intentions to fulfill the Army Family Covenant," Col. Mike Tarsa, garrison commander, said. "The Child and Youth Programs are instrumental in minimizing parent absenteeism, enhancing productivity in the workplace and promoting retention across our force. Quality child care is a meaningful contributor toward sustaining the all-volunteer force."

The Part-Day Pre-school program has relocated from the Stony Area CDC into the Lee Area CDC, which will also absorb some of the SKIES and EDGE! Programs. The two multipurpose rooms will be used as a dance studio for all dance and musical theatre programs and tothe other will centralize all pre-school programs to include Kindergym, Start Smart and Wee Ones. The new facility will also serve as Parent Central to process registrations for all youth programs and childcare.