The CentroNía Martha Gudelsky Child Development Center in downtown Silver Spring is scheduled to open this fall and has a waitlist that exceeded 1,500 families last February.
The center at the former Silver Spring library site is described as a “state-of-the-art facility offering accessible full-day early education and care to 127 children from birth through five years old in multicultural, bilingual (English/Spanish) environment.”
Construction work on the facility started last summer.
According to the Washington Business Journal, the facility will be operated by the D.C.-based nonprofit CentroNía and is set to open in October. CentroNía provides affordable, high-quality early childhood education, educator professional development, and family support services in a bilingual and multicultural environment to over 2,400 children and families in the D.C. area.
The Martha Gudelsky Child Development Center will cater to children from birth to age five, and will serve at least 75% of participants from families eligible for free and reduced lunches under federal guidelines. The center will feature a community kitchen, parent workshops including cooking, job readiness, and adult education classes. Additionally, it will create 40 new jobs, foster local partnerships, and provide space for community events, CentroNía said in February.
The Homer and Martha Gudelsky Family Foundation, which established the early childhood center in 2016, offers added childcare opportunities for children from mixed-income families. Martha Gudelsky established the foundation in 1968 to provide grants and assistance to programs that improve health, education, the arts, and the community, including support for the upcoming child development center in her hometown of Silver Spring.
CentroNía’s website highlights its importance as a resource in Silver Spring, which Fortune Magazine recently ranked as the best place to live for families in the United States.
“Silver Spring, Maryland, has just been ranked the #1 best place for families with children by Fortune Magazine,” the nonprofit said. “This recognition highlights Silver Spring’s exceptional amenities, vibrant community, and excellent educational resources. Among these invaluable assets is the CentroNía @ Martha Gudelsky Child Development Center, perfectly poised to serve the needs of this thriving family-oriented community.”
Once the renovations are finished, CentroNía will seek a state license before the facility’s anticipated October opening.
Rendering Courtesy of CentroNía