Where to Find Affordable Child Care in Prattville, AL

YMCA/Lauren Prevatte Photography

Access to affordable child care in Prattville and in any community is directly tied to a region’s workforce and economic development success – not to mention its residents’ quality of life. For many working parents, available child care is not a convenience, it is a critical factor that directly influences their ability to join and remain in the workforce. The Prattville YMCA recognizes this need and provides affordable, high-quality daycare in Prattville and Autauga County. 

Affordable Child Care in Prattville

“It’s paramount for parents who are working to be able to have a safe place for their children to be,” says David Lewis, general director/CEO of the Prattville YMCA. “One of the No. 1 concerns on a parent’s mind is what they’re going to do with their children when they’re not in school, and we take that responsibility very seriously at the YMCA. The opportunity that we have to step in and fill that void is very important.” 

Lewis says the YMCA cares for elementary school children as early as 6 a.m. each day and as late as 6 p.m. to give working parents plenty of time to start and end their work shifts. YMCA staff even provide transportation to and from school. 

Resident Becca Petty’s three children have utilized the YMCA’s daycare in Prattville since they were in preschool. She says convenience as well as affordability played a major role in her decision to enroll her children. 

“Most child care services can be pricey and hard to budget. The YMCA has helped our family by allowing us to have affordable child care while knowing our children are in safe and secure hands,” Petty says. “The YMCA has also been tremendously helpful with being able to balance work and other family responsibilities. Sending a child to school can add up, from school lunches to snacks. After-school care at the YMCA is greatly appreciated by providing a snack for my children while entertaining them and helping them get that energy out from having to sit in class all day.”

Positive Impacts of Child Care

Another resident, Rachel Pickett, has a 9-year-old son who attends the after-school care program, and she points to the positive social impact. “It’s extra time that he gets to spend socializing with his peers and not on electronic devices,” Pickett says. “They’re playing, they’re being active and they’re socializing with each other, so I think it’s really great for them.”

Both Pickett’s and Petty’s children have also attended the YMCA’s summer programs in Prattville. 

“As a tight-budget family, sometimes we don’t always get to go on vacation every year, but through the YMCA, our children have been able to go on fun and adventurous trips that we may not be able to afford ourselves,” Petty says. “Through the summer camp programs, my children experience a field trip each week that includes a trip as big as the water park or as simple as bowling. My older children still talk about these experiences.” 

Lewis says the YMCA also adds to workforce development efforts by employing high school students and teaching them skills, such as leadership and teamwork. 

“We are the first employer for a number of people in our community,” Lewis says. “You can interview successful businesspeople and community leaders now and ask them about their first job, and they’ll say, ‘It was at the Prattville Y.’”