PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUGUST 2025
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The Literacy Center Partners with YMCA to Launch Innovative Childcare Workforce Training Program
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Groundbreaking collaboration will train English learners as certified childcare instructors, addressing critical regional labor shortage
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The Literacy Center (TLC), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving the Attleboro community, has been selected as one of eight recipients of significant state funding through the Healey-Driscoll Administration's $10 million investment in workforce training and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programs. With these funds, TLC has engaged in an innovative partnership with three regional YMCAs to launch a transformational workforce training program that will provide English learners with the skills and certification needed to become professional childcare instructors. Graduates will leave the program prepared to begin working immediately as fully qualified infant and/or toddler teachers in a state-recognized childcare environment.
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This critical state investment arrives as federal support has been dramatically reduced, with the Trump Administration withholding nearly $13 million in Adult Basic Education Grants that Massachusetts expected to receive. "We are honored to be selected alongside some of our esteemed colleagues to pilot this transformational program," stated Amanda Blount, The Literacy Center's executive director. "Thanks to the Governor’s commitment to workforce development and the collaborative spirit of the Attleboro Norton YMCA, the Old Colony YMCA, and the Southcoast YMCA, as well as our friends at Robbin's Childcare, The Literacy Center is poised to transform childcare labor in our region while empowering individuals with sustainable careers. We are excited to get started."
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TLC’s innovative program exemplifies Governor Healey's vision of connecting workers with training that meets the specific skills employers desperately need in today's economy. As recently reported by Commonwealth Beacon, “despite the recent increases in early education system capacity, sizeable gaps remain between available seats and the overall number of children, and program capacity falls short for tens of thousands of young children in each early education age group across the state.” The Literacy Center’s groundbreaking training program will address two critical community needs simultaneously: providing training pathways for individuals in need of better careers, while also tackling the tremendous labor shortage in childcare that affects families throughout the region.
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The partnership between The Literacy Center and the regional YMCAs represents a powerful model for workforce development that goes beyond traditional language instruction to create direct routes to stable, meaningful employment in high-demand fields. Through this program, participants will receive specialized English language training tailored to early childhood education, hands-on practical experience in YMCA childcare facilities, and individualized support toward obtaining required certifications and credentials. This comprehensive approach ensures that graduates are not only proficient in English but are job-ready professionals who can immediately contribute to addressing the childcare crisis affecting working families across Massachusetts. The collaboration leverages the YMCA's extensive childcare infrastructure and TLC's proven expertise in adult education to create sustainable career opportunities in an essential sector.
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The training program is slated to start in September 2025. To find out more, visit www.theliteracycenter.com/childcaretraining
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