On Friday morning, YMCA leaders, board members, elected officials, and community partners gathered to celebrate a major milestone in the expansion of quality, affordable childcare in the Midcoast region. The Bath Area Family YMCA held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of construction on a new six-classroom early learning center at the Bath YMCA campus.
Adding to the celebration, a group of ten toddlers from the Y’s early learning program—outfitted with hard hats and child-sized shovels—joined participants to help turn the first soil, delighting the crowd and underscoring the purpose of the project: expanding access to early childhood education for the community’s youngest learners.
When completed, this center will be the culmination of a years-long, multi-million-dollar capital effort by the Bath Area Family YMCA to increase its ability to offer quality, affordable childcare to the community. This includes the first-of-its-kind partnership with General Dynamics Bath Iron Works to provide childcare to their employees at a new 10-classroom center in Brunswick, opening this fall.
Speakers unveiled the name of the new building – The Haggett Family Early Learning Center – to honor the late Bill Haggett, former president of Bath Iron Works and longtime Y board member and past board president, and his wife Sally, for their tireless work and advocacy for childcare expansion in the community.
“This center will stand as a testament to Bill’s commitment, Sally’s support, and the belief we all share—that every child deserves a strong start in life, and every family deserves the peace of mind that comes with safe, affordable, high-quality care,” said Amy Vendt, CEO of the Bath Area Family YMCA. “Bill’s vision and tireless efforts are woven into every brick that we will lay.”
The Bath YMCA began raising funds for a $7.9 million multi-phase capital campaign in 2023 to meet the growing demand for quality, affordable childcare in the community. The campaign’s first phase began with the construction of two new classrooms in a standalone building that opened in 2024, tripling the number of available childcare spaces. The construction of this new 6-classroom center marks the final phase of this campaign. When completed, the Y’s childcare capacity will have increased from 35 spaces to over 200 in just three years.
“This groundbreaking is more than just the start of a construction project,” said Annie Colaluca, Executive Director of Early Learning and Family Services. “It’s a powerful symbol of our community’s values—our commitment to supporting families, investing in early childhood education, and ensuring every child has a safe, nurturing place to grow, learn, and thrive.”
More than 95% of the $7.9 million expansion campaign has already been raised through early pledges from donors and community partners as well as from $1.4 million in federal funding secured by Senator Angus King in 2023. Just over $375,000 remains to be raised during the community fundraising phase.
For nearly 20 years, the Bath Area Family YMCA has operated a nationally accredited childcare program for ages 18 months to five years old. The program currently operates six classrooms at the Bath YMCA campus, including public PreK during the school year in partnership with two local school districts.