Ronald McDonald House Charities Invests in Early Learning in Northern Cambria

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Johnstown, PA (August 25, 2020) – Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Mid-Penn Region and The Learning Lamp share a common goal—helping children succeed. The mission of the local RMHC chapter is to support programs that enable children to “live their lives to the fullest.” Investing in quality early learning is just one example of that mission in action.

“At a time when many child care centers have closed or are struggling to remain afloat in the wake of COVID-19, our area is fortunate to have community partners like RMHC of Mid-Penn Region in their corner,” said Dr. Leah Spangler, President and CEO of The Learning Lamp.

RMHC of Mid-Penn Region recently awarded The Learning Lamp a $5,000 grant to be used to complete improvements to its newest child care center—The Learning Lamp Center for Children in Northern Cambria. The grant will enable The Learning Lamp to fast track access to a large upper room in the newly updated center at the former Coal Country Child Care facility with the purchase of a secure room divider. The space is needed for indoor play and large motor skill development. The remainder of the grant will be used in the spring to complete resurfacing of the center’s outdoor play space which over many years of use fell into disrepair.

Availability of additional quality child care slots in the area will enable parents of young children facing child care barriers to seek employment, enroll in job training, or pursue advancement at work knowing that they have the security of reliable child care to support them.

“It is truly amazing that we were able to get this center up and running and return up to 60 high quality child care slots to area families in the midst of a pandemic,” Spangler explained. “That doesn’t happen without the support of community partners like RMHC of Mid-Penn Region.”

The Learning Lamp Center for Children in Northern Cambria is licensed by the PA Department of Human Services and is enrolling children now. Tuition assistance and child care subsidy are available for qualifying families. For more information or to register your child, contact Karen Machak, The Learning Lamp’s Childcare Programs Manager, at 814-262-0732 x301, or visit us online at thelearninglamp.org.

The Learning Lamp is a nonprofit organization with a mission to engage all children in the support they need to succeed. We deliver high quality programs that are affordable and accessible to families of all income levels. In 2019, The Learning Lamp served 31,329 youth/adults from 53 public school districts and 78 other schools and organizations in 19 Pennsylvania counties.

Our programs include: one-to-one tutoring; before/after school programs; portable classrooms aimed at building math and science skills; alternative education programs for at-risk students; evidence-based prevention programs; online learning and credit recovery; SAT preparation; educationally-focused child care; literacy-based preschool programs; and grant writing and project consulting for schools.