Accounts of the history of Meeting Waters YMCA's service to the Brattleboro area date back to 1920 when we helped establish a local Boy Scout troop. But, it was not until 1999 when the communities of the region again reached out to Meeting Waters YMCA for help in meeting the needs of area youth. In the Spring of 1999, the three elementary school principals in the Brattleboro School District inquired about the newly created ASPIRE after-school program. By the first day of the new school year that fall, ASPIRE was up and running in all three schools. Since then, community and education leaders have looked to the Meeting Waters YMCA more and more as a resource to address local challenges.

Since 2000, Meeting Waters YMCA has brought to the Brattleboro region a responsive child care program that operates on days when schools are closed for inclement weather (Snow Day Program), a transportation program that brings children from high-risk home environments to state-licensed child care programs and back home again (Child Care Transportation Program), provided transportation to and from its day camp programs for 5-16 year-olds (Lewis Day Camp and Leaders-in-Training), and more.

In 2009, we created the Healthy Communities Coalition to stimulate and support changes in environments and policies in schools, child care settings, youth organizations, workplaces, neighborhoods and communities so that, one day, "the healthy choice is the easy choice where people live, work, learn and play." We also co-lead the Fit & Healthy Kids Coalition.

Today, Meeting Waters YMCA is the largest provider of school-age child care in Brattleboro (actually, we serve so many children, we are the largest provider of child care, in general). More than 75% of all of Meeting Waters YMCA's financial assistance and subsidized services are received by Brattleboro children and families.

Read more about our programs and services in the Brattleboro region.