Early Learning Center to provide childcare at BlueOval City

New YMCA Early Learning Center at BlueOval City to Provide Childcare for Employees, Local Residents

STANTON, Tenn., Nov. 25, 2024 – Ford and the YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South today  announced the creation of the new YMCA Early Learning Center at BlueOval City designed to  help remove barriers to employment for local residents.  

📸: Courtesy of Ford

When it opens in 2026, the YMCA Early Learning Center at BlueOval City will serve as a  childcare hub for the entire region – providing care for as many as 175 children, aged 6 weeks  to 5 years old. The facility also plans to provide before- and afterschool care programs and  meals to school-age children. The new YMCA center will accommodate employees by offering  operating hours tailored to their work schedules.  

“Access to high-quality affordable childcare is one of the most important components in  workforce development,” said Ermal Faulkner, Ford site director for BlueOval City and electric  vehicle sites. “We spent months listening and learning from local families as we designed a  childcare center that will help improve the quality of life for employees, Tennessee College of  Applied Technology students and other community members.”  

The state-of-the-art center will be conveniently located off Highway 222, less than a mile from  BlueOval City. Spanning 15,500 square feet, it will feature dedicated childcare rooms and a  multipurpose room for activities.  

“BlueOval City sits in an area where access to childcare has been especially challenging  following the pandemic,” said Dave Bratcher, senior vice president of West Tennessee for the  YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South.

“The YMCA is committed to increasing access to healthy lifestyles, resulting in stronger families  and communities,” added Jerry Martin, president and CEO, YMCA of Memphis & the Mid-South.  “We are grateful for the opportunity to expand access and meet the needs for families and  communities throughout West Tennessee.”  

Ford collaborated with the YMCA to gather input from residents, shape the development of the  facility and bring together key investors for this project.  

The new YMCA Early Learning Center at BlueOval City is made possible by a generous 5-acre  land donation from Beth Wall Flanagan. The parcel has been part of her family’s farm since the  early 1830s.  

“The Wall family, through Meux Hill LLC, is proud to help advance the mission of the YMCA,”  Wall Flanagan said. “It was an easy decision for our family to expand the legacy of YMCA  support that began with my great-grandfather, John Farley.”  

Public and private funding support for construction and ongoing operation of the YMCA center  totals $7 million so far.  

• $2 million for construction support funded by the Tennessee Department of Human  Services  
• $1.7 million for the multipurpose gymnasium funded by the Tennessee Department of  Economic & Community Development through a Connected Community Facilities grant  • $1 million to offset the cost of childcare for Ford’s Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center  employees and cover the cost of water and wastewater depreciation expenses funded  by Ford’s Tennessee Electric Vehicle Center at BlueOval City 
• $1 million for onsite programming funded by BlueOval SK  
• $1 million for construction support funded by Universal Logistics Holdings  • $300,000 for construction support funded by Ford Manufacturing 

“We recognize affordable, quality childcare is a barrier for many working parents, and BlueOval  SK is committed to being part of the solution,” said BlueOval SK CEO Michael Adams. “We’re  proud to support the YMCA and its programs that help meet the needs of families throughout  West Tennessee through a variety of services.”

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