Naples YMCA shares plans for early education daycare center

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NAPLES, Fla.- The YMCA wants to change the way kids learn early on, with a new preschool promising to make sure all children are ready for kindergarten.

“We want to build an early education system of care that really can advance the child, and give them the best chance to succeed in life,” said Paul Thein, president of YMCA Naples.

Thein tells WINK News the daycare not only gives children a place to stay, but a place to learn.

“It’s a holistic concept where we interface our early education component with the medical professionals. Occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech, social behavioral psychology and a medical pediatrician,” said Thein.

The YMCA will document all the children’s progress and alert experts when a child falls behind.

“Should there be a gap in the milestone, we’re working with the communities best so that there is no delays in at least referrals, or the expertise coming in so the child has the best chances of advancing,” said Thein.

“I have two children, and one of my kids early on before going into first grade, we had to make a tough decision,” said KP Pezeshkan, vice president of Manhattan construction, the company that will be building the new preschool.

He says this project is important to him because one of his kids was held back a grade and it was devastating for his family.

“If this program were available, I think it would have made a big impact on his life back then.”

It’s estimated to cost about $6 million to build the new preschool. The YMCA just started campaigning to raise the money.

“We’re excited. We hope the community responds,” said Thein. “They were great on the fire and that was desperately needed, but we have a whole series of children we want to move out of the modular classrooms into something that is really special.”

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