New Bayside CDC opening

By Mrs Adriane Foss (IMCOM)March 5, 2012

New Bayside CDC opening
Child and youth assistant Yunika Davis lines up stuffed toys in a play corner of one of the toddler rooms of the new APG North CDC Feb. 27. The facility opens for business March 5. The community will be invited to a grand opening celebration in the s... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. - A March 1 ribbon cutting ceremony will celebrate the long-awaited opening of the new Bayside Child Development Center at APG North.

The new facility, located next to the youth center, will open its doors March 5 and is expected

to significantly whittle down what was a 200-child wait list.

CYSS Coordinator Ruth Strauss said the facility will open up 120 spaces to local children and has created 27 new jobs. She said CYSS is still in the process of hiring and anyone interested should contact the NAF Civilian Personnel Office or visit http://www.apg.army.mil/cpac1/NAF-jobs.html.

Available jobs include clerks, parttime cook, an assistant director and classroom staff.

Student enrollment is ongoing, and parents should contact the Central Registration Office to be placed on the wait list.

Strauss said she, along with parents and staff, have waited one year for construction to be

completed, but said the state-ofthe- art facility is worth the wait.

"This building reflects our wish list of things a Child Development Center should have; an indoor play space, open classrooms, and security at the front door. It is a beautiful, welcoming center, " she said.

Strauss called the new facility proof that the Army is making good on its promise to deliver programs and services via the Army Family Covenant. The $5 million project was funded by the Army Family Covenant program and is oneof many facilities built Army-wide.

Three of the new facility's eight rooms will open March 5, and the remaining rooms will open gradually until all rooms are enrolled by the end of March, said Strauss.

"This gradual entry will allow us to ensure that the needs of each child and family are met in a planned and orderly fashion," she explained.

Construction on the new facility began in March and was in response to the more than 4,500 jobs that transferred to APG with the Base Realignment and Closure.

"The modular facility was built off site, brought in and assembled," said Strauss.

She said the fully-equipped center is very similar in design to the CDCs at APG North and APG South. Built to the U.S. Army Center of Standardization guidelines, the design will allow children

to experience a sense of familiarity as they move from center to center.

Strauss said operations at APG North's existing CDC, next to the main post chapel, will not be affected by the new facility.

The existing center was renovated two years ago and serves 193 children. It will remain open, along with the CDC at APG South.

Parents are encouraged to register as soon as possible for the wait list. Call 410-278-7571/7479/2572 or visit http://www.apgmwr.com/family/youth_services.html for information.

Parents also have the option of enrolling their children in one of APG's Family Child Care homes by calling 410-278-7477/7140. FCC provides small group care in certified homes in installation housing areas and throughout Harford County. For information on CYSS programs, call

410-278-7571/7479.

Also, active duty parents receive a free membership to Sittercity, an online resource that connects Families with local in-home care providers, including nannies, eldercare providers, dog walkers and more. Visit www.sittercity.com/dod.

The APG community will be invited to a grand opening celebration later this spring.