Grand opening of Merced Early Learning Center postponed, but enrollment still open

With an outdoor playground, new classrooms, and a 3-to-1 teacher-to-child ratio, Merced’s Early Learning Center, 1850 Wardrobe Ave., has plenty to share, even though the grand opening ceremony scheduled for Thursday was cancelled due to expected rain.

Despite the weather, the center is open and enrolling new families . It is also seeking more childcare professionals to join its team.

The center quietly opened its infant room in January and continued adding classrooms throughout the year. In September and October, it opened two more classrooms for toddlers 1-3 years old. The program currently serves 25 preschoolers and eight infants and toddlers.

“We really focus on providing that nurturing environment,” said Monica Garza, director of Head Start for the Merced County Office of Education.

The program is open to Merced County families with children between the ages of 6 weeks and 5 years old.

For infants, “It’s not very structured at all,” Garza said. “Children are fed on demand. Diapering is occurring regularly. However, there are activities that are offered throughout the day to support their development.”

Garza emphasized the center’s focus on helping children learn fine- and gross-motor skills.

“Preschoolers do have a schedule laid out,” Garza said of the older kids in the program.

The center offers two options for preschool care: a 10-hour program from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and a shorter program from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Both include a rest time of about an hour.

“There is a focus on literacy (and) math,” said Garza, “… we think of letters, numbers, expanding their vocabulary … but we also have a big emphasis on that social and emotional growth, because we know that’s really key for children’s success at that age.”

Before it was postponed, MCOE had big plans for Thursday’s grand opening, including a number of outside activities for little ones. There were plans to have staff supervise the outdoor playground, tables to inform families of other services and programs through MCOE, and a chance for parents to see the facility and activities for their children.

The ceremony is now planned for spring, according to a release from Nathan Quevedo, communications and public relations officer for MCOE.

In lieu of a grand opening, the center is trying to get the word out on what it offers.

“What we’re really trying to let families know is that we have this setting,” said Garza. “It’s an amazing setting, and it’s a wonderful opportunity for children to be (in) an engaging environment with their peers and with teachers that are there, ready to nurture and love on them, and help them learn and grow while their parents either go to school or go to work.”

Families interested in learning more or applying for the program can do so at the following link: https://app.mycareconnect.io/carewait/mcoe.