Winston Prouty center secures grant to open another class

By Chris Mays, Brattleboro Reformer. Published May 20, 2024

BRATTLEBORO — With some help from a grant from Building Bright Futures, the Winston Prouty Center for Child and Family Development will open a fifth classroom.

“We’re trying again,” said Chloe Learey, executive director of the center. 

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the center had six classrooms. Afterwards, it reopened with four classrooms, with the intention of returning to a larger number later. 

A fifth classroom was opened last year “but we just couldn’t keep it staffed,” Learey said. 

Building Bright Futures is providing her group with $66,500 for the approximately $100,000 project. The classroom is slated to open in the fall. 

Learey said the money primarily will help with attracting staff. 

“We’ve really struggled to be competitive in the market with wages,” she said. “We’ve actually increased wages across the board in the Early Learning Center without knowing exactly how we’re going to pay for it. So part of the grant is helping us keep that wage level, sign on bonuses, setting up the room, professional development, all that sort of stuff. So very exciting.”

Her group looked at Winston Prouty’s waiting list and determined that an older toddler classroom — for 2.5- to 3.5-year-olds — would be the best move. The goal is to avoid creating enrollment problems.