Members of the YWCA Arlington Child Development Center family proudly showcased their new home on the University of Texas at Arlington campus during an October 22 ribbon cutting and grand opening. The 10,400-square-foot childcare center at the corner of Davis Drive and UTA Boulevard replaces the YWCA's former location, a 20-year-old building located several blocks away.

On this festive day, the celebration began with a catchy alphabet song performed by the preschool students, who showcased some pretty impressive singing and memorization skills. It was a testament to the quality education being provided at the center.

“The YWCA aims to educate and prepare all children for kindergarten,” said Carol Klocek, executive director of YWCA Fort Worth & Tarrant County. “Approximately 95 percent of our students come from low-income families; our goal is to prepare them for success and get them out of poverty.”

The new center serves 130 children, from infants to preschoolers, but has the capacity to accommodate 145. While many of the students live in the greater Arlington community, some live in homeless or domestic violence shelters in the area. Mission Arlington provides transportation to children living in shelters.

“A strong community requires strong community resources for everybody, including those who may not have hope,” said Mayor Robert Cluck. “If you don't have hope, then you don't have anything, really.”

The new center, a beautiful facility designed by Komatsu Architecture, is located near The Community Garden at UT Arlington. Many considered it to be more visible and accessible to visitors, parents and students than the previous location.

The grand opening, said UT Arlington President James Spaniolo, “is a celebration of a wonderful new facility on our campus, a collaboration between the YWCA and the University of Texas at Arlington.” Thanks to major funding from Houston-based Carrizo Oil and Gas, the new building became a reality for the Arlington community.

Carizzo paid $1.12 million for construction of the new facility, with UT Arlington contributing $780,000. The YWCA chipped in $100,000 for construction and raised another $325,000 for playscapes and new equipment for classrooms, the kitchen and a multipurpose area.

“We felt like it would be a nice gesture to the university and to the YWCA to dedicate this new building and contribute a big enough gift that they could build it,” said Carizzo President S.P. “Chip” Johnson.

This is the first new building ever built by the YWCA of Fort Worth & Tarrant County, which will allow the YWCA to “provide services to families for the next 25 years,” Klocek said.

Enrollment is going on at the new center. For information on signing up a child for care, call 817-262-5911 or visit www.ywcafortworth.org.