New home of UMF Sweatt-Winter Child Care and Early Education Center on track to open in early summer 2023

By University of Maine Farmington — April Mulherin, Associate Director of Media Relations

With construction well underway, the University of Maine at Farmington’s nationally accredited Sweatt-Winter Child Care and Early Education Center is on track to open in early summer 2023 at its new location at 274 Front St. in Farmington.

Affordable, quality child care is critical for Maine families and the renovated building will double the current building’s square footage to 10,384 sq. ft., opening up 20 new slots for high-quality infant and toddler care. It will also allow enrollment in UMF’s undergraduate and graduate early childhood education programs to expand by at least 20% in support of critical state workforce needs.

“The Sweatt-Winter program has served families in Franklin County and the surrounding area for more than 30 years. Our new facility will expand on both that legacy and Farmington’s continuing commitment to provide child care for working parents and to educate Maine’s future generation of early childhood educators,”  said Joseph McDonnell, UMF interim president.

Two Portland-based companies, CHA Consulting, Inc., and Optimum Construction Inc., are providing the design and construction for the state-of-the-art learning center.

“The COVID-19 pandemic exposed a dire shortage in early childhood professionals in Maine. Expansion of the University of Maine at Farmington Early Childhood Education Center to increase the availability of quality childcare will have far-reaching positive effects for the workforce and families not only in Franklin County, but across the state,” said Charles Woodworth, executive director of the Greater Franklin Economic and Community Development.

The new facility includes spacious classrooms for preschoolers and school age children with places for sharing meals, learning through play and exploring, and the facilitation of important self-help skills. It also features two new classroom spaces to help meet the needs of area families, one for a new infant and young toddler program and another for older toddlers.