From left, Carrie Ohorodnyk, executive director; Bill Tracy, chairman of the Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA board of managers; and Nola Wicker, director, stand Monday, June 5, in the new preschool room at the YMCA’s Early Learning Center in Cranberry Township. Steven Dalton/Special to the Eagle

CRANBERRY TWP — The Rose E. Schneider Family YMCA unveiled its new Early Child Learning Center on Monday, June 5, much to the anticipation of local families.

“There’s an unbelievable need in the area for child care, and that’s why we went with this option,” said executive director Carrie Ohorodnyk. “We had the space to use and decided this was the best way to do it to serve the needs of the community.”

Resident Alyssa Truman said, while touring the facility, that for much of the last year her 1-year-old son Noah has been in the care of a family friend throughout the week.

“All of the daycare right now is about a six-months to a year waiting list at other places,” she said, “so we’re really happy the Y opened up.”

Truman’s son is one of 76 applicants on the waiting list, according to Ohorodnyk, and the center is prepared to serve 50 children.

“We opened up registration first to members of the YMCA — because that makes the most sense, to take care of our members first — and allowed them three days’ precedence for registration, and then we opened it up to the public after that,” Ohorodnyk said. “We filled up in four days.”