HELENA – St. Peter’s Health will open its new Pete’s Place Early Childhood Education Center on Monday.
The new center is located in the former Ray Bjork Learning Center.
The hospital leased the 22,000-square-foot facility from Helena Public Schools after the school district decided to close the building.
St. Peter’s Health has renovated the building over the past six months, upgrading the electrical and water systems, installing a fire suppression system and redesigning classrooms to improve safety and visibility.
Hospital officials say the $3.6 million project is being funded by a federal grant from ARPA and private donations to the St. Peter’s Health Foundation.
Pete’s Place provides child care and early childhood education for the children of St. Peter’s Health employees.
“I just think it’s great that the hospital offers this,” says pharmacy technician Marilyn Handyside. “It’s unheard of, you don’t really hear ‘Hey, we have a daycare you can use.'”
Handyside told MTN that she has two children who will be enrolled at Pete’s Place this fall.
Brian Lee, Chief Operating Officer of St. Peter’s Health, told MTN that this project is a win-win situation. He says it helps staff find childcare, helps the hospital recruit and retain health workers for the Helena area and helps the Helena Public School repurpose vacant buildings.
“This is just a great opportunity to take a wonderful child care and early learning program that we’ve had for almost 40 years and expand its capacity by almost four times,” Lee says.
Pete’s Place cares for toddlers through preschool children.
St. Peter’s Health expects to have 180 children enrolled by the fall and will eventually increase enrollment to 240 children within the next 18 months.
The program also plans to include an afternoon care program in the future.
