Community leaders, supporters and partners gather for the ribbon-cutting ceremony marking the official opening of the new Middle Tyger Education Center in Spartanburg County. The $19 million facility expands the center’s child care capacity from 60 to 265 children. Spartanburg School District Five photo
SPARTANBURG COUNTY — A yearslong effort to expand access to quality child care in the Upstate reached a milestone Aug. 14 with the opening of the new Middle Tyger Education Center.
The $19 million facility officially opened its doors during a ceremony attended by South Carolina Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette, Spartanburg County School District Five Superintendent Dr. Randall Gary, former state Rep. Rita Allison and hundreds of community supporters, investors and partners.
The 48,000-square-foot center is designed to significantly expand Middle Tyger Community Center's ability to provide early childhood education and child care to families in the Spartanburg area.
Before the new facility opened, Middle Tyger's child care program had space for 60 children in infant through 4K classrooms. The new center increases capacity to 265 children, a 300% increase, according to the organization.
"Opening the Middle Tyger Education Center today is an important investment in the child care for our community," said Executive Director Haley Grau. "But more importantly, it serves as a model that we can solve the national child care shortage. It just requires collaboration and people coming together."
The center includes 17 classrooms, an indoor nature trail, accessible playgrounds and three large training spaces for staff. The expanded facility is intended to give more Spartanburg County families access to child care while allowing parents greater opportunity to participate in the workforce.
"Oftentimes, if you live in this part of Spartanburg County, you cannot find adequate child care," Grau said. "This center serves to open our capacity to greater serve our community so that children have an opportunity to grow and have a better start to life, and parents have an opportunity to be in the workforce."
Gary said the benefits of quality early childhood education can extend well beyond a child's preschool years.
"Data has shown that giving kids an early start, before kindergarten, with quality child care is going to pay dividends for years to come," Gary said. "This is not just a great day for Middle Tyger and District Five, it's a great day for our community."
The new facility represents a major expansion for Middle Tyger Community Center and is intended to serve as a model for addressing child care needs both in Spartanburg County and beyond.
