With so many demands on today’s families, parents need all the support they can get. That’s why child care at the Y is about more than looking after kids. It’s about nurturing their development by providing a safe place to learn fundamental skills, develop healthy, trusting relationships and build self-reliance through the Y values of caring, honesty, respect and responsibility. When you entrust your child to the Y, we strive to fulfill our promise to make each day an opportunity for your child to learn, grow, and thrive. Caring for your child and providing them with a safe environment that stimulates creativity, socialization and youth development remains our top priority.
If you're interested in learning more about our childcare programs, enrollment, touring our classrooms or meeting our staff, we invite you to join us at the Berkeley Heights YMCA Child Care Center for our Open House on March 11.
Saturday, March 11
10:00 AM-12:00 PM
Please note: To enter our facilities, all guests are required to sign a participation waiver (a parent/guardian must complete the waiver for minor participants under the age of 18). The waiver only has to be completed once and is available online at www.thesay.org/waiver.
For details on our childcare programs, availability, enrollment and pricing, please click on a link below and/or contact us directly.
We’ve designed our enrollment process to give parents the opportunity to explore our early education programs first-hand through a personalized tour arranged for you to speak in-depth with one of our highly qualified and experienced Program Directors. A thorough orientation process will help to transition your child and your family into daily life at The Berkeley Heights YMCA Child Care Center.
Program registration for the upcoming school year opens in March. To learn more about our childcare programs, availability, enrollment and pricing, please click on a link above and/or contact us directly. Please note: An active Summit Area YMCA Membership is required to register for any childcare or summer camp programs. If you do not have a family membership, a Youth Membership (Ages 12 & Under) may be purchased for each child billed annually at $110 per year/per child. If you had a membership previously and are having trouble reactivating it, please complete the Membership Change Request form.
The new Berkeley Heights YMCA opened in 2020, bringing together the community to fulfill a shared mission; working side by side to nurture potential, support youth development, promote healthy living, and foster social responsibility. This vital, vibrant, and valued center in the community, provides meaningful experiences for individuals and families. Part of the Summit Area YMCA, founded in 1886, we are the first Diversity, Inclusion and Global Innovation Network YMCA in New Jersey committed to creating a culture in which diversity and inclusion are integral to everyday operations. With over 40,000 square feet, the Berkeley Heights YMCA offers a Full-sized Gymnasium • 2 Group Exercise Studios • Indoor Cycling Studio • State-of-the-art Fitness Center & Equipment • Dedicated Functional Training Zones • Modern Locker Rooms • Lobby & Common Areas • Spacious Early Education Childcare Center • After School Child Care • Cheerful, Secure Kid Zone • Teen Center • 195 Parking Spaces • Outdoor Playground •Seasonal Outdoor Pool • is ADA Accessible and much more!
Child care students at the Berkeley Heights YMCA have access to their own fenced in outdoor playground and large grass area, as well as a full gymnasium and two multi-purpose spaces for activities and special events.
At the Summit Area YMCA, we stand committed to providing a safe environment for everyone who enters our doors or participates in our programs, most importantly the safety and well-being of children entrusted to our care. We have a series of measures in place to keep kids safe. Learn more on how the Y keeps your children safeguarded against abuse through staff trainings, protocols, and ongoing knowledge of awareness and prevention here.
As a nonprofit, the Summit Area YMCA is committed to enhancing the lives of individuals and families in our community. We do so by offering financial assistance to those with demonstrated need so that they may enjoy all the Y has to offer, regardless of their ability to pay. This helps us ensure that everyone, regardless of age, income, or background has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. Families with low or moderate household income or those who are experiencing financial hardship are encouraged to apply. Applicants must live or work in the Summit Area YMCA service area which includes Berkeley Heights, Gillette, Millburn, New Providence, Short Hills, Springfield, Stirling and Summit. Financial assistance can be used for membership, childcare, summer camp, enrichment, sports programs and more where additional fees apply, such as soccer and swimming lessons.
In 1886, we were founded as the Young Men's Christian Association, but today, we are The Y. An association that values and is made stronger by, its diverse people. We stand for youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility — For a better us. We are committed to creating equal opportunity for all regardless of gender, age, disability, income, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or religious affiliation. We strive to create a welcoming and inclusive culture in which our four core values — responsibility, honesty, caring, and respect — are integral to everyday operations.
Each year, as one of the areas’ leading 501(c)3 charitable organizations, the Summit Area YMCA serves more than 15,000 individuals with our free and fee-based programs and services in an area spanning the New Jersey communities of Berkeley Heights, Gillette, Millburn, New Providence, Short Hills, Springfield, Stirling and Summit. Our history is rooted in working side-by-side with our neighbors to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to learn, grow and thrive. Through the generosity of our members, donors, and partners, we are able to offer financial assistance for our programs and services to those in need.