Michael Ranck, President and CEO of the YMCA of Eastern Delaware County, with DCCC President Dr. Marta Yera Cronin. Photo courtesy DCCC.
At a time when parents are struggling to find affordable childcare, Delaware County Community College and the YMCA of Eastern Delaware County have officially signed an agreement to partner in the YMCA Early Learning Center at DCCC’s Southeast Center, located at 409 N. Lansdowne Avenue in Drexel Hill at the site of the former Archbishop Prendergast High School.
The YMCA Early Learning Center at DCCC will offer care for 140 children aged six months through kindergarten. Currently operating in the YMCA of Eastern Delaware County building across the street from its future new home, it is fully licensed through Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning and is rated four stars by Keystone STARS, a system designed to improve, support and recognize the continuous quality improvement efforts of early learning programs in Pennsylvania. Registrations are ongoing, with the Early Learning Center anticipating a June 2026 opening.
“The new YMCA Early Learning Center at DCCC is such an exciting step forward for our Upper Darby community,” said Michael Ranck, President and CEO of the YMCA of Eastern Delaware County. “We are expanding opportunities for working families, strengthening access to licensed early childhood education, and creating a place where children can learn, grow and thrive every day.”
The 17,000 sq.-foot, state-of-the-art facility will give children access to a high-quality, play-based learning environment that is safe and engaging. It will offer a full-day kindergarten and will provide opportunities for hands-on training for DCCC students pursuing associate degrees and certificates in early childhood education.
“The signing of this agreement with the YMCA of Eastern Delaware County reflects our shared commitment to removing barriers and creating opportunities—because we know that access to high-quality, affordable childcare is essential to student success and to the strength of our community,” said DCCC President Dr. Marta Yera Cronin. “This is what partnership looks like—coming together to meet real needs and to build a stronger, more equitable future.”
For more information on the YMCA Early Childhood Learning Center at DCCC, contact Christine Ortiz, Early Learning Director, at 610-713-5245 or cortiz@cyedc.org. For more information on DCCC’s Early Childhood Education programs, visit dccc.edu/ece.
