Harbor Point child care center— shuttered last year— to re-open under new management

Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester will operate the early education center formerly run by UMass Boston

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester (BGCD) will re-open a child care center on Columbia Point that served UMass Boston and families in the Harbor Point Apartment community until it ended operations last year. The new early education and care center— slated to open in early spring of this year— will be located in the same space within the Harbor Point community at 2 Harbor Point Boulevard and "adds to the array of children’s services that the BGCD provides in the area, including a program already in operation at Harbor Point."

“We are excited to have this opportunity to expand our early education programs into the Harbor Point community," said Bob Scannell, president and CEO of BGCD. "Our current site in Harbor Point, Walter Denney Youth Center, serves children ages 5 to 18. We have experienced tremendous success in the community and the partnership has been strong. We are truly appreciative of the continuous support shown to us by the Corcoran Jennison Companies and the Harbor Point Community Task Force.”

The decision comes after meetings with he Harbor Point Task Force and other community partners, including UMass.

“I’m very pleased that the Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester has decided to establish a child care center at Harbor Point. This decision is consistent with its mission and ensures that quality care will continue to be available at Harbor Point,” said UMass Boston interim Chancellor Barry Mills. “It complements services the organization already offers and extends the reach of a group that is an acknowledged leader in its field.”

“We continually seek ways to bring high-quality services to the Harbor Point community that benefit and meet the diverse needs of our families,” said Michael Corcoran, president of Corcoran Jennison Companies, co-owner of Harbor Point Apartments. “Engaging the families in our community includes a collective effort, with youth-service providers, the local schools, and community members working alongside the families in concentrated ways, helping to support their children’s development. We look forward to Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester’s expansion of early education into Harbor Point. The early childhood education center, the existing after-school programming and the robust enrichment programs offered support our efforts to strengthen community and family connections and provide a cradle-to-college education pathway for our youngest residents.”

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Dorchester engages 4,000 youths — from toddlers to 18 year-olds— in over 200 programs each year that include art, education, music, film, career preparation, character and leadership development, health and life skills, athletics, aquatics, social recreation, and early childhood education.


Subscribe to the Dorchester Reporter