The former Cine 4 movie theater in New Haven has been transformed into a childcare center.
A new childcare center has opened in New Haven and it's in a former movie theater.
The former Cine 4 movie theater has been transformed into the Friends Center Flint Street Family Campus and they celebrated the grand opening on Friday.
Now in phase 1, the center has four new classrooms to accommodate 32 infants and toddlers.
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Some of the features of the former theater remain, including an actual theater and the concession stand.
And there will be a free community film festival on Sunday.
The center hasn't said how much parents will have to pay, but most of their families do pay on a sliding scale with tuition adjusted based on income.
Andrea Tabb-Smith, a parent and co-director of emotional well-being at the center, said childcare has cost her family between $16,000 and $20,000 per child.
“I know there’s a lot of families who are not able to go into work and they have to keep their children home, which is something that’s been a real struggle, but just hoping that when we’re opening spaces that are really looking at the entire family and looking at them through the lens of equity, that’s taken into account so that families, no matter what their socio-economic status, can afford quality care,” she said.
Phase 2 will include the construction of a new building for 48 children.
The campus will also have a library, space for teacher training and a resource hub.
