Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce and Parkview Warsaw YMCA celebrate lobby renovations and the opening of the future Play Cafe with a groundbreaking. InkFreeNews photo by Elizabeth Hershberger.

By Elizabeth Hershberger
InkFreeNews

WARSAW — Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce and Parkview Warsaw YMCA celebrated the lobby renovations nearing completion and the upcoming opening of the Play Cafe with a groundbreaking ceremony Tuesday, June 10.

Dr. Jim Swanson, chief executive officer of Parkview Warsaw YMCA, spoke of the excitement that comes with making changes at the YMCA and offering new spaces for working families in the community. He thanked the partners that made the Play Cafe possible, including LaunchPad, the Kosciusko Chamber of Commerce, Kosciusko County Community Foundation,  the Lilly Endowment and the city of Warsaw.

“This Play Cafe just gives us one more opportunity to serve working parents,” said Sherry Searles, director at LaunchPad. There is a deficit of care particularly for zero to 3 year olds in the Warsaw area right now, and the Play Cafe will offer high quality, affordable childcare for parents working remotely.

The Play Cafe will be primarily for ages zero to 3 years old, offering open-ended play time and preschool structural elements without a strict preschool format. There will be a scheduled story time, a dramatic play area, a climbing gym, an infant crawl area and a block and art area. The trained play coaches will make sure every child has a safe and enjoyable experience, with one play coach for every four to five children. The capacity of the Play Cafe is about 16 children at once.

The Play Cafe’s workspace will feature wifi and open office space as well as smaller cubicles available for rent to work in a quiet, individual space. Comfortable lounge seating will also be available.

Parents will sign up for a one to four hour block of time online at the Play Cafe. Hours and pricing will be determined closer to opening day, though the hours for the Play Cafe will likely be during weekdays. Members of the community will be able to book time at the Play Cafe, and members at the YMCA will receive a discount for the service.

“We’re just really excited to see this project underway and to be able to serve these youngest members of our community and their families,” said Ashlee Parker, director of early childhood programming at the YMCA. When researching the idea of a play cafe, Parker noted that in other play cafes parents could bring their children and work, but no supervision was provided. The Play Cafe’s staff will provide parents with the assurance that their children will be safe while they work.

The River Coffeehouse will open as a full service coffee shop at the Play Cafe, open not just to the YMCA but members of the public. The River will offer a different menu with items like protein drinks to cater specifically to the needs of the YMCA. “This area is growing and we get to be a part of it,” said Amanda Meerzo, owner of The River.

The Play Cafe and lobby renovation are slated to open in October of this year at Parkview Warsaw YMCA, 1305 Mariners Drive, Warsaw.