Hartland

Hartland became a Communities for Children Partner and a Community of Promise in 2001. The organization that joined C4C, the Irving Tanning Community Center (ITCC) Board of Directors, had originally organized in 1997 as the Hartland Child Care Task Force (HCCTF). In January of 1997 the Irving Tanning Company met with the Hartland Town Manager to discuss childcare needs in the community. The Town Manager contacted the Kennebec Valley Community Action Program (KVCAP) and as a result the HCCTF was formed. The task force surveyed the rural communities of Hartland, St. Albans, and Palmyra about childcare needs.

Thus, in Hartland, the impetus for creating a community center came originally from a business, the Irving Tanning Company. The company employs 550 people, with 135 living in Hartland, St. Albans and Palmyra. They offered a $100,000 matching grant to create daycare for the community and, therefore, their employees. The original proposal was directed toward infant, toddler and preschool aged children, but three community surveys of the tri-town area discovered that the need was greater for older, school-aged children during non-school hours.

The task force established in response to this offer worked with KVCAP to secure an additional Community Development Block Grant of $250,000 and organize a community fund raising campaign. When the campaign was completed, a total of nearly $500,000 was available to start the project. At that time the local school district, MSAD 48, became interested in joining the effort and decided to combine the facility with the local school system to create a joint construction venture. This overcame a huge obstacle. By using the ITCC (the center) as a school building during school hours, the district would assume the ongoing operational, maintenance and insurance costs. A school bond was voted by the entire district for $1.1 million, which completed the financing of construction costs. A contract for $1.7 million was awarded and the official opening was held in December of 2000.

The 13 member ITCC Board of Directors represents the community at large and includes local government representatives of the tri-town area, Irving Tanning, parents, law enforcement, clergy, commercial and business entities, MSAD 48, and other local citizens. The original board also included two student representatives. It became difficult for these representatives to attend evening meetings, however, so the seats will be eliminated and a Youth Advisory Board created instead.

The ITCC was one of four sites in MSAD 48 to be chosen as a 21^st Century Community Learning Center. It has also just completed the licensing process with the Department of Human Services and now operates the only licensed School Aged Childcare Center in Somerset County. With funding from these two sources the ITCC has been able to hire a director for the community center, to start in June 2001. One of the principal duties in the job description of the new director is to form an active Youth Advisory Council, which will advise the Board in matters involving policy and programming. In addition, both the 21^st Century Community Learning Center and the School Aged Childcare Center also have youth representatives on their councils.

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