Lehigh Valley Children’s Center at St. Joseph Regional Academy in Jim Thorpe got a boost as it opens enrollment this week.

The Carbon County Community Foundation presented a $1,500 check to the nonprofit, which has a 50-year history in child care and early education, as it prepares to open next month.

The funds represent a grant from the Joseph and Debra Kay Bennett Charitable Fund in memory of Penny Allison, the late wife of Jim Thorpe Rotarian Bill Allison. Penny Allison, an early education teacher for 38 years, devoted her life to helping children succeed.

The money will be used for renovations and to provide child care for the residents and business members of Jim Thorpe, said Joe Bennett, a community foundation founder.

“So, if someone is working here in Jim Thorpe, they have a place to drop their children in the morning and take care of them while they are gainfully employed,” he said.

Providing child care helps the community as it removes barriers to employment for parents, gives children a good start heading into kindergarten and also draws higher caliber employees for area businesses, Bennett said.

The Jim Thorpe Rotary Club began looking at the child care challenge for families in 2021, and partnered with LVCC and Immaculate Conception Parish in Jim Thorpe on a community’s needs assessment, said Jeanne Miller, Rotary president, said.

The survey found that 74% of the 200 families participating needed full-time or part-time child care. The greatest need was for preschool-age children, or those 3 to 5, she said.

Jim Thorpe was considered a child care desert, said Sharon Alexander, CCCF president and CEO, who is also a Rotarian.

The center will serve 30 to 40 children, filling a void for child care and early education in the community, said Charles Dinofrio LVCC president and CEO.

LVCC will be the first licensed center in the Jim Thorpe Zip code, and the next closest for families is in Albrightsville, he said.

Carbon County only has 30 child care centers and most are in the Palmerton area, Dinofrio said. By comparison, Northampton County has 1,500 child care centers, he said.

The nonprofit LVCC initially helped the community with the survey, and then, once the need established and location found, was able to put together a center quickly, Dinofrio said.

“Our mission is to create high-quality early children education,” he said. “So, if there is a community in need of that, then, we’ll be here to do that.”

The Rev. Ronald J. Minner of Immaculate Conception Parish said he was approached by Miller and fellow Rotarian Dr. Clem McGinley about opening a child care center in the former St. Joseph Academy to serve the community.

“They stepped in with great ideas and we said, ‘Yes,’” Minner said.

So far, 21 families have expressed an interest in enrolling their children, Dinofrio said, and the first enrollment is Wednesday from 9 a.m. to noon and 3 to 6 p.m.

Another open enrollment session is planned for Aug. 9, also at St. Joseph’s Regional Academy at 25 W. Sixth St., in Jim Thorpe.

For more information, visit www.lvcconline.org, or call 610-820-5333.