By Anthony Cannady
Milestones Enrichment Center (MEC) owners Traci Cowan and Valencia Skeeter held the grand opening of their new and improved child care facility on Nov. 1 in Laurel, Md. Under a festive autumn sky, the event drew a robust crowd of families and community supporters, including Congressman Glenn Ivey (MD-4); City of Laurel Council President Kyla Clark; and President and CEO of the Maryland Black Chamber of Commerce, Kenneth White.
“It’s just a short walk across the street to our new building at 311 Compton Avenue, but it’s been a very long journey getting here,” said Cowan, who opened MEC in 2002. At that time, MEC had just four families on their roster.
Doubling their space with 4,800 square feet, the new facility houses four classrooms, a secured, safety-equipped playground and a capacity to care for 90 children. MEC is licensed to care for children from ages six weeks to 12 years old.
Congressman Ivey congratulated the owners saying that he was glad to actually hear the Milestones success story. “It’s important to understand the vision that you had,” he said to Cowan. “You know they say without a vision, the people perish. And it’s especially important right now because we have so many challenges going on.”
At a time when waiting lists are long and families in the DMV area are struggling to find more affordable options for quality child care, Milestones continues to grow.
“Milestones Enrichment Centers have provided quality care for 1,500 families since our opening over 23 years ago,” explained Skeeter. “It was my daughter’s dream to open a child care center and today we have three locations in the metro area, including Laurel, Washington D.C., and Bethesda, which is currently pending licensing.”
Some MEC families have generational reach. Carla Campbell, a longtime MEC parent and supporter says her family has an ongoing history at the school. “I brought my children here for day care. Now, they’re bringing their children here.”
Cowan explained that White, president of the Maryland Black Chamber of Commerce, was instrumental throughout MEC’s building and licensing process, providing critical advice from start to finish.
“I have witnessed the journey that Traci and Valencia have endured,” White said. “It’s taken, tenacity, impatience, patience…and we’ve worked through a whole lot of stuff to get to this day.” From ground breaking to ribbon cutting, the building and licensing process required approximately four years.
The MEC Bethesda location is expected to open soon. For more information, visit the MEC website at mec.123.abc.com for more information.