Yuma Children's Academy

Background Statement

From its very beginning, Yuma Children’s Academy (YCA), has been a community-driven project. In 2008, a meeting was held to address the need expressed by community families, employers, business owners, and home care providers for additional, affordable, local (nearest large child care center was 27 miles away), and quality child care in Yuma. Information at the time from the NE CO Child Care Resource and Referral reinforced this concern with data that child care needs for 306 out of 613 children in Yuma County were going unmet. Responding to the opportunity to help families and strengthen the Yuma community, a board was formed and nonprofit status obtained. Thanks to a generous donation from First Presbyterian Church of Yuma, property with an existing building was purchased by the board.

It was decided early on that even with the proposed extensive remodeling, Yuma Children’s Academy would open 100% debt free, and a capital campaign successfully raised funding help from state foundations, federal resources, and many local donors. With the exception of an architect and playground construction company, the majority of the work to renovate the empty structure was completed by local sub-contractors and services, all supervised by a board member who volunteered his expertise as general contractor. The renovation of the building resulted in a large child care and preschool center, with the additional community development benefit of a re-purposed vacant building.

YCA opened in the fall of 2013 with only one early childhood teacher and 18 children in one preschool classroom, but quickly filled additional space. Today YCA maintains an approximately 8,000 square foot building and five classrooms (Infant, Toddler, 2s and 3s, Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten) with full-time early childhood teachers, assistants, aides, and administration to support and nurture the many kiddos that are part of the YCA family.

The mission of Yuma Children’s Academy is to provide needed child care and to create a stable, secure, enriching environment for children; to be a valuable resource for parents and the community; to improve the quality of life for families in the Yuma area.