Many of us do not think about the parts of buildings that keep us safe and comfortable—like electricity, roofing, brickwork, temperature control, and plumbing—until something breaks or isn’t working properly. Functional utilities and well-maintained structures are important to health, safety, and comfort, and they are particularly important at child care facilities to keep children safe. Maintenance and upgrades can be prohibitively expensive for child care providers who already operate on thin margins, but fundraising can be difficult for these less-visible projects.
As facility experts, the RICCELFF team recognizes how essential these projects are to the wellbeing of children and providers in our community. Managed by LISC in partnership with DHS, the ECCE Capital Fund supported several projects that improved the quality of spaces in ways that may seem small, but have had an outsized impact. The RICCELFF team typically provides resources to providers, but this article is meant to provide real-life examples to inspire future projects and show the difference that these improvements can make.
A recent study shows that teachers who have had furnishing-related projects funded through the crowdfunding site DonorsChoose are less likely to leave both their current position and the education field. Facility improvements are “somewhat undervalued,” says Erin Cox, AIA, Senior Program Officer at LISC. During a time of crisis for child care employment, “an improved space can have the ability to attract and retain staffing.” Some providers can feel sick due to low-quality HVAC or get migraines or headaches due to poor acoustics. Facility improvements can help alleviate some of these challenges.
Roofing
Roofs need regular maintenance, which can be expensive. They also wear out over many years and require a full replacement to maintain integrity. At CCAP’s Atwood Avenue location, the roof was aging and it had a direct negative impact on teachers. The ECCE Capital Fund provided a grant to fully replace it. “Staff appreciate that the rooms upstairs don’t have [ceiling] tiles that we have to change all the time,” said Stacy Del Vicario, Vice President of Childhood Development. “You can’t really see [the new roof] but the staff realize [it’s there].” Before the installation, two classrooms regularly used buckets to catch rainwater that dripped from the ceiling, and providers had to move furniture around to protect it during rainstorms. The roof replacement improved the health and safety of the building, and it also showed concern for and attention to teachers’ needs and experiences.
Fencing & Vehicular Barriers
Fencing and strong vehicular barriers (where necessary) are essential to keeping children safe in outdoor play spaces. Good fencing and barriers will keep children inside a play space and prevent vehicles from entering and causing injury. Fences and gates must be maintained, as well, to prevent hazards from forming while slowing material breakdown.
My Second Home, a family child care facility run by Mirtha Tavares in Cranston, installed a new vinyl fence and gate in the backyard using an ECCE Capital Fund grant. The project replaced an old wooden fence that had been damaged by weather and tree growth with a durable vinyl fence and a new gate. The children in Mirtha’s care are now able to play outside without catching their hands underneath and along the fence, and Mirtha has fewer maintenance tasks to keep track of.
The Gansett Avenue location of CCAP received a grant from the ECCE Capital Fund to install new fencing and vehicular barriers as part of a playground renovation. Now, “it looks like a center that really cares about the kids,” said Del Vicario. “Plus, knowing that it’s obviously much safer now that we’ve added the bollards and things like that, because you really don’t think about a card driving into a playground. But in reality, it could, right? So it’s just a good feeling to know that the kids are much safer.”
Plumbing
“If you know anything [about] child care, you know that plumbing is essential,” said Amy Vogel, Chief Executive Officer/Operations Officer at Dr. Day Care, Inc. Cox humorously agrees: “It all comes down to toilets” when constructing or renovating a child care facility.
Ample plumbing is necessary to meet licensing requirements and best practices, which call for a particular number and location of toilets and sinks depending on children’s age and classroom size. Beyond minimums (which are already more than many people assume), additional plumbing can significantly improve providers’ working conditions. A seemingly small add-on, like the Newport County YMCA’s installation dishwashers in infant classrooms to sanitize bottles and other items, can make it much easier for a provider to keep up with the demands of caregiving and provide high-quality care.
At the Children’s Friend Alves Center, they decided to construct a separate staff bathroom on each floor. This saves time for providers who need to leave the classroom for a few moments and shows care for the providers by offering convenience. For children, in-classroom bathrooms offer significant benefits. They allow children to use the bathroom independently without requiring a provider to accompany them outside of the classroom, so it is easier to maintain supervision and ratios and avoid interrupting the flow of the day. The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northern Rhode Island used an ECCE Capital Fund grant to construct bathrooms inside preschool classrooms at the Woonsocket location, permitting more seats to open.
Windows
Natural light through windows is important for development, mental health, and provider satisfaction. They can also provide an opportunity for children to see the world outside their classroom and learn from nature. Appropriately placed and designed windows can help keep children engaged, safe, and regulated, and they are an important part of any child care space.
Newport County YMCA’s Twice as Nice Preschool has many interior windows that give people in the classrooms a line of sight to the hallways, and they also let natural light from exterior windows to reach the classrooms. Well-placed interior windows can help open a space and provide natural light to augment sunshine from exterior windows.
Clark Street Daycare in Westerly completed a renovation and expansion of an infant space, which now has an interior window between the classroom and the entrance vestibule. Families can observe the babies as they enter the building, providing joy and comfort; infants can observe caregivers and others outside of the classroom, which supports development.
Dr. Day Care’s Central Falls location is a good example of how well-placed windows low to the ground can support development and interaction. Even toddlers can see into the outdoor play space independently, offering an opportunity for providers to engage children by pointing out animals and weather. The building, acquired with the support of an ECCE Capital Fund grant, is a former child care and education facility.
EBCAP received a grant to replace windows around their child care facility that were posing a safety hazard. When opened, the old awning-style windows slanted out at an angle that placed sharp corners at providers’ head height, so they were kept closed for the safety of anyone outside. The new double-hung windows slide up and down without slanting, so teachers now open the windows freely. Fresh air circulation can help with air quality and temperature regulation, so the project resulted in improvement for both the providers and children.
Lighting
Natural light is an important and required feature in any early childhood space, in addition to flexible and appropriate electric lighting. Adjustable overhead lighting and tools like blackout shades allow providers to change the environment and ambiance of the classroom to reflect rest time or transitions.
Millie Rivera, Project Manager at Children’s Friend, reported that providers were particularly impressed by the lighting options at the Alves Center, where classrooms have under-cabinet lighting, dimmable overhead lights, and blackout-style curtains for nap time. Flexible options can help providers manage classroom flow, address sensory needs, and adapt to weather and seasonal conditions that impact the available natural light. In turn, children can feel more regulated, and providers can feel more relaxed and in control of their surroundings. “I know some people think of lighting as…just light,” shared Rivera. “But for [providers], it’s huge.”
HVAC & Utilities
Functional Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems are essential in New England, where both very hot and very cold days can occur. As weather changes, child care facilities can be uncomfortable, or even unsafe, without proper temperature regulation.
For example, Genesis Center had an outdated heating system that would malfunction sometimes, requiring the facility’s closure on cold days for the safety of children and staff. The center was paying staff overtime to come in early, check the system, and fix any issues, while families were left without many options if there was a last-minute closure. An ECCE Capital Fund grant funded a new boiler, and now Genesis Center has reliable heat—eliminating the last-minute closures and staff overtime related to the outdated HVAC, as well as improving the reliability of the child care center for families. The new system is modern, so the process of heating the building is also less smelly and less loud, which supports sensory regulation and air quality in the classrooms. Providers no longer report children becoming frightened or confused by the noises that the system used to make.
Other utility improvements are also impactful. For example, Over the Rainbow received a grant to replace an outdated electrical system at their Johnston location. Minerva Waldron, Director, reported that the facility’s electric bill decreased by around 75% after the new system’s installation, saving more than $6000 a year in electrical costs. The old transformers were bulky and loud; the space created by their removal has opened up a storage closet, provided more space in a children’s bathroom, and allowed the introduction of a “cozy corner” where a transformer used to be.
Neutral & Sensory-Friendly Furnishings/Facilities
Providers have reported an increased need for sensory-aware furnishings, facilities, and curricula. The RICCELFF has long recommended natural furnishings and neutral colors to help both children and providers meet sensory needs.
“Things [in a child care space] are already stimulating enough that teachers get overstimulated too. Having those more neutral furnishings in a space, and acoustically absorbing materials, helps everybody’s neuro system and their vestibular system in that way,” says Erin Cox, AIA, Senior Program Officer.
The ECCE Capital Fund supported several HVAC and utility improvements that reduced noise and/or sound levels in classrooms, which can cause overwhelming sensory input. As already , Over the Rainbow used the space previously occupied by an electrical transformer to install a “cozy corner” to help children regulate their emotions. Adjustable lighting, wooden furnishings, neutral-toned paint and carpets, flexible seating, available sensory materials, and other facility improvements can also contribute to a supportive space.
Sometimes the most important building elements—for children and adults—are the things we don’t notice at all.