NORTHAMPTON — Following nearly two weeks of community outcry, Smith College will keep its Center for Early Childhood Education at Fort Hill open through at least summer 2029.
President Sarah Willie-LeBreton announced the decision in an email to the center’s families and staff Friday afternoon, thanking members of both the campus and larger communities for sharing “deep concern, impassioned feedback, and thoughtful questions.”
The decision reverses an Oct. 19 announcement that called for the college to close Fort Hill next June as part of a larger plan to launch a new childcare benefit for employees. That announcement led to significant pushback from the community, including a rally Wednesday that drew more than 250 people.
“Our work focused on creating a broader childcare benefit. Your feedback has clarified that this was only an initial phase, and it has underscored the need for a dedicated second phase — one that creates intentional space for dialogue, additional discussion of equity, engagement with campus expertise, understanding of the childcare landscape, and open listening,” Willie-LeBreton wrote.
She said the college will move ahead with launching the childcare benefit, and Fort Hill subsidies will remain in place. That benefit allows eligible Smith employees to receive up to $2,250 per year per child for infants and toddlers ages 2 and younger, up to $1,250 per year per child for preschool children and up to $500 per year per child for elementary school-age children ages 5 through 12 at any licensed and accredited childcare provider.
Willie-LeBreton said keeping the center, which has 80 childcare slots and employs 28 teachers, open two more years beyond the planned closure will give officials time to explore options for the college to support faculty and staff childcare needs. She said the goal is to reach a decision on next steps by December 2027, which would provide continuous enrollment for families and give parents and teachers at least 18 months after that date to plan.
Smith plans to begin outreach to faculty and staff governance groups in the next three weeks to discuss the framework for upcoming engagement and dialogue.
“I deeply regret the sense of exclusion that many people have shared, and I look forward to being in conversation,” Willie-LeBreton wrote. “I remain grateful for your candor, partnership, and commitment to our faculty, staff, their children, and their educators in finding an equitable and sustainable path forward.”