After 20 years of providing quality day care for children, Someplace Special Childcare will close in June.
The decision to close the day care center and discontinue staffing the Extended Day program in the Cambridge Primary School was made this week by Cambridge Medical Center’s Board of Trustees. Someplace Special is owned and operated by Cambridge Medical Center (CMC).
The medical center cited financial reasons for the closure. CMC has subsidized the operating costs of Someplace Special for several years. Despite numerous attempts to reduce the subsidy, including rate increases, the elimination of employee discounts, and changes in staffing levels, the operating costs substantially outweighed the revenue.
“As much as this service is needed and has been an asset to our employees and the community, the unfortunate fact is that we can no longer provide the service without it affecting our core mission of patient care,” said Dennis Doran, CMC president.
Like every health care organization, Doran says CMC is feeling the effects of current economic conditions and has to reprioritize how dollars are allocated.
“In today’s economic climate of increased health care costs and limited reimbursement, our available resources need to go towards health care delivery and patient care. We are continually looking for ways to slow down or reduce the cost of care to our patients and the community without sacrificing quality.”
Someplace Special has provided child care services since 1987. It initially opened as a benefit to Cambridge Medical Center employees, following a nationwide trend of providing employee-sponsored child care. Over time, the facility gradually extended care to children of non-employees. Over the last 10 to 15 years, many companies across the nation have struggled to maintain child care as a benefit, with its high costs and limited impact on only those employees who have young children.
Someplace Special currently cares for approximately 49 children each day – some of whom are at the center for as little as a few hours up to those who are there for a full day. It is one of five child care facilities in Cambridge. The Extended Day program at Cambridge Primary has provided before and after school care as well as summer programs for children in kindergarten to 12 years of age.
“Someplace Special has provided outstanding child care for thousands of children over the past 22 years,” said Doran. “Day in and day out, our teachers and staff have provided a safe, nurturing environment and a positive experience for the children in their care. Our employees have appreciated having child care on-site by co-workers they know and trust. We all enjoyed seeing the children playing outside and their occasional visits to the medical center always brightened our hallways and our spirits. They will be missed.”