The Woburn Council of Social Concern opened its doors in 2004 and has had no renovations since.
Woburn Council offers center-based childcare for 58 children ages 0 to 5, provides parent education courses and has an on-site food pantry open to Woburn and Winchester residents. It also works with the Massachusetts Department of Children & Families to provide emergency backup care to children who are removed from their homes.
Despite these services, Woburn Council Executive Director Jessie Bencosme said their facilities are “pretty run down,” with faded playground structures, cracked floors and broken-down kitchenettes. She said the council must frequently make repairs to maintain a safe environment for the children.
“The teachers do such a good job providing care that I would love for the environment to look as good as the care the kids are getting,” Bencosme said.
On Aug. 26, the Healey-Driscoll Administration awarded $8.5 million in early education and out-of-school time capital funding grants to 20 organizations across Massachusetts with the goal of renovating early education and childcare program facilities that serve primarily low-income families.
Programs were eligible to receive $200,000 to $500,000 for their specified project based on a grant review score sheet that has a maximum of 105 points available.
“The scores do not equate to more money but simply who gets funded,” Alana Davidson, director of communications at the Massachusetts Executive Office of Education, wrote in an email to The Daily Free Press. “We generally fund projects that score highest.”
Woburn Council received $500,000 from the EEOST grant. Bencosme has faced challenges obtaining funding throughout her years-long career in early education and nonprofits, and she said receiving the grant was a “dream come true.”
The council is 100% subsidized, meaning it does not receive private, paying families, and its tuition is based on a reimbursable rate decided by the Department of Early Education and Care. All the children Woburn Council cares for come from the DCF and Department of Early Education and Care waitlists.
“Our families face adversity,” Bencosme said. “Being able to provide them with a safe place to come, a place that looks good … would make them feel a little bit more secure about where they’re bringing their kids.”
Without the grant, Woburn Council would not have the finances to update the childcare environment, Bencosme said, so her staff are “very excited” about the award.
One of Woburn Council’s main plans for their grant is to update its play structures to be more child-friendly. Its current playground is 20 years old and is difficult for the children to play on due to its original design.
Bencosme worked with a playground company to develop a new design that will spread out the play area, change the turf and make the structure more compliant with the American Disabilities Act.
With the grant money, Woburn Council can renovate its four open classrooms and open a fifth that’s been closed for 12 years, as well as expand infant care and make necessary renovations to the building.
“The parents are going to be able to be more excited about bringing their kids here,” Bencosme said. “It’s going to be like a complete facelift of the program itself.”
The YMCA of Greater Boston is another organization that received funding through the EEOST grant. Seth Lucas, regional vice president for child development at the YMCA of Greater Boston, said his staff was “ecstatic” to receive a $251,000 grant.
The YMCA of Greater Boston has received grants before, but for the first time, Lucas said the grant money will be allocated to the East Boston YMCA, which currently supports “about 93 kiddos.”
A majority of the funds will be used towards improving the safety and security of the building by installing video access control systems at the front doors.
“It’s really important that our buildings do a good job of keeping kiddos safe and helping families feel welcome, and so this money is going to directly support them,” Lucas said.
Aline Ricketson, another regional vice president for child development at the YMCA of Greater Boston, said families’ experiences at the YMCA “start before they walk in the door.”
“Environment is so critical to not only the obvious quality and success our students and team members have in the spaces, but really just that safety, security and quality on the exterior is just so valuable as well,” Ricketson said.
The East Boston YMCA has six classrooms along a hallway, and there is currently no clear line of sight to the lobby. Lucas said the YMCA plans to put the grant money toward a new security system, which will ensure that only those permitted in the area can enter the space.
The YMCA has been discussing security system upgrades since the COVID-19 pandemic, but lack of funding prevented it from making enhancements. Lucas said families, not just staff, are especially eager to see the YMCA’s new upgrades.
“We were absolutely thrilled,” Lucas said. “This has been a project that we’ve had on our wish list for quite some time.”