Micron builds new childcare center to address community needs

Micron will soon be opening their doors for their new early learning center. The center is open to ages zero to six, offering engaging and creative ways to learn stem foundations.

• Micron has built their own early learning center for employees and their families
• A partnership with Treasure Valley Family YMCA will involve teaching STEM in creative and engaging ways
• Opening day for the center will be Tuesday, Sept. 3.

( Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)

As the Treasure Valley grows in population so does the need for childcare. I'm your Southeast Boise neighborhood reporter Jessica Davis at Micron where they found a way to help their families access child care.

"We had been hearing feedback from our team for many years that finding child care, especially on this end of town, is really important for them," says Marni McDowell, senior director of global well being at Micron.

Right across the street from the Micron main campus, Micron has built their own Early Learning Center for employees and their families, focusing on accessibility, affordability, and quality .

McDowell says, "We really felt that the best solution for us was to build our own center as a way to help our team members but also as a way to contribute to the shortage of child care seats in the community as well."

Through a partnership with Treasure Valley Family YMCA, 124 kids between the ages of zero to six will be in the facility, learning STEM in creative and engaging ways.

Teresa Wood-Adams is the senior executive director of child and youth development for the Treasure Valley Family YMCA, she says, "It's not about building the robot or building the bridge, it's really about picking the time to work with the children to get them to have more of a stem learning mindset."

If you take a look around the Micron area, the number of daycares and early childhood learning centers is scarce. With this investment, the center can at least alleviate some of that need.

McDowell adds "This certainly can't meet the need of every single family in the Micron population, just because we can never build a facility of that size, but we also know that families have different preferences and what works best for them and how they manage their families and their kids and this is just one resource."

September 3 will be opening day for the center, so kids will be able to come inside and see what the center has to offer.