Gavilan College Will Reopen its Child Care Center
Dear Gavilan College Community,
I’m thrilled to share some fantastic news!
When I first became president, I heard many of you express concern about the closure of our campus Child Care Center. This was a significant loss for our students, staff, and community.
Fast-forward two years, and I’m excited to announce that we’ve made significant strides toward restoring this vital resource to our campus!
Thanks to a partnership with the YMCA of Silicon Valley, we've secured funds to renovate our existing CDC building and establish a childcare center. This center will open in the fall of 2026 and provide much-needed childcare services for our students and staff.
The YMCA of Silicon Valley has received a $1,749,800 grant from the County of Santa Clara through the Valley Health Foundation, made possible by the County’s Childcare Expansion Grant Program. The grant will support the renovation of the Gavilan College Child Development Center and the launch of the Early Learning Center. The County is funding the program utilizing American Rescue Plan Act funds, and the Valley Health Foundation administers the grant.
This is a huge win for our college! It will provide much-needed childcare services for our students and staff and offer valuable hands-on experience for our Child Development and Educational Studies (CDES) students.
I want to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who made this possible:
- County of Santa Clara and the Valley Health Foundation
- County Supervisor Sylvia Arenas
- Gavilan College Board of Trustees: Your support and advocacy were instrumental in securing this grant.
- YMCA of Silicon Valley: Many thanks to Mary Hoshiko Haughey, Chief Operating Officer, and her team for leading the grant submission. Special thanks to Andrea Nicolette, Executive Director, for helping establish this partnership and vision during one of our coffee chats.
- Gavilan College Staff: A special thanks to our amazing Child Development and Educational Studies (CDES) Program faculty, Pat Henrickson and Claire Boss, for their relentless advocacy and support. Thanks to Vice President Marilyn Morikang, who spent many hours reviewing contracts to ensure we met the grant's eligibility requirements. And to Serafin Fernadez, Director of Capital Projects, for conducting a feasibility study and cost projections. Serafin will also lead the renovation project to convert our CDC building into a childcare center.
Please join us at the check presentation this Thursday, December 5th, from 12:00 to 1:30 PM at the Child Development Center (CDC) building (near Parking Lot C) to celebrate this exciting achievement!
Let's come together to celebrate this milestone and look forward to the future of our Child Development Center!
Kind Regards,
Dr. Pedro Avila
Superintendent/President
5055 Santa Teresa Boulevard | Gilroy, CA 95020
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