Swanzey’s Former Carpenter Home to be used for Childcare
The Town of Swanzey has entered into a one-year lease with Honey Bee Hollow LLC to operate a childcare facility at Town-owned property located at 1 Simeneau Lane. This property was gifted to the Town by Lucy Carpenter nearly 100 years ago, and was operated as a 16 bed assisted living facility known as the Carpenter Home until May of 2019, when staffing and licensing challenges led to its closure.
The building has been vacant since 2019 and in April of this year the Cheshire County Probate Court granted relief to allow the Town to purchase the property from the Lucy Carpenter Trust. The purchase of the property for the appraised value was approved at the 2022 Town Meeting, with the money being deposited into the Lucy Carpenter Trust Fund. The interest generated by the trust fund will be used to further the intent of Lucy Carpenter’s gift.
The new use of the property as a childcare facility will allow Honey Bee Hollow LLC to expand its current home-based operations. The intent is for income from the lease to cover the expenses for the building. It is expected this new location will allow more children to be served over time, which will help to address a significant need in the community.
Allyce Romaneck is the Owner/Director and Lead Teacher of Honey Bee Hollow. She holds a Bachelor's in Elementary Education from Keene State College and a Master's in Foundations of Education with a certificate in Nature Based Early Childhood. She has worked with children of all ages in different settings for over 15 years. Her goal is to offer families in our community quality childcare with a strong foundation in nature and play based education.
Those interested in applying to work at the facility or to put their children on the waiting list should contact honeybeehollow.info@gmail.com.
Original source can be found here.
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