Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning Opens Enrollment for First Early Childhood Education Center
CHS Hershey, opening in the fall, will provide non-residential, year-round care and education to 150 children from economically disadvantaged and at-risk backgrounds, with all costs covered for qualifying families.
HERSHEY, Pa. – February 8, 2023 – Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning (CHS) announced today that it is now accepting applications for enrollment at its first-ever Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC), being built at the corner of Governor and Homestead Roads in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The Center is part of Milton Hershey School’s $350 million initiative to initially develop six ECECs in the state to serve children from birth to age 5 from economically disadvantaged and at-risk backgrounds.
Opening in the fall of 2023, CHS Hershey will operate from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, delivering a core early learning program with a play-based curriculum designed to enhance children’s educational, social, emotional, and cognitive development. This will be supported by onsite evaluations; educational support; physical, occupational, and speech therapy; and family services featuring a Family Success Advocate to connect families to essential tools and resources. Enrolled children will also be provided with nutritious meals, transportation, and personal items. All components of the CHS program will be delivered at no cost to families, who must qualify to be admitted into the program.
“CHS Hershey will allow families in need of affordable childcare the unique opportunity to set up their children for lifelong success without added financial stress,” said CHS Hershey Family Success Manager Kesia Horton. “Our teachers and staff are currently preparing for the opening of the Center through our professional development program and look forward to helping children thrive at the Center and at home through our whole-child approach that supports the growth of the entire family.”
Minimum eligibility is based on household income, the child’s age, and the child and family’s ability to participate in and benefit from the CHS program. Other factors include, but are not limited to, where they live, their daily commute, and classroom availability based on the age of the child applying. Applications to fill the 150 openings at CHS Hershey can be submitted online through the Enrollment page of the CHS website.
“The children, families, and staff that will bring CHS Hershey to life will be part of a very special and lasting legacy,” said MHS and CHS President Pete Gurt. “The Hersheys believed that every child deserved a chance to thrive and it is that vision that will carry on at each of our CHS centers.”
Future CHS Centers are planned for Harrisburg, opening in 2024; Middletown, opening in 2025; and Lancaster City, Elizabethtown, and New Danville, which are scheduled to begin opening in 2026.
ABOUT CATHERINE HERSHEY SCHOOLS FOR EARLY LEARNING
Catherine Hershey Schools for Early Learning will provide a cost-free educational, social, and cognitive program to children from birth to age 5 from economically disadvantaged and at-risk backgrounds through the development of initially six Early Childhood Education Centers. The Centers are subsidiaries of Milton Hershey School and will be staffed and operated independently of the Milton Hershey School core model. For more information, visit chslearn.org.
ABOUT MILTON HERSHEY SCHOOL
Milton Hershey School is one of the world’s best private schools, where qualifying students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade live on campus and receive an exceptional educational experience—with all costs covered. For more information, visit mhskids.org.
