Enterprise YMCA Reopens as Ground Is Broken on $600,000-Backed Childcare Center for 60 Children
The Enterprise Family YMCA has reopened after about $1.35 million in upgrades, and work has begun on a 4,200-square-foot childcare center for up to 60 children, backed by up to $600,000 from the city.
ENTERPRISE, Ala. — The Enterprise YMCA is back open with a refreshed gym and fitness center, and work has started next door on a new childcare center that could serve up to 60 children, a project city leaders describe as an investment in working families and the local economy.
Mayor William Cooper Sr. joined YMCA and community leaders for a groundbreaking on Tuesday, Oct. 6, on the YMCA’s existing Enterprise campus. The ceremony coincided with the reopening of the Enterprise Family YMCA, which has gone through significant changes over the past two years.
The project at a glance
- What: A new childcare and youth development center at the Enterprise Family YMCA
- Size: About 4,200 square feet
- Capacity: Up to 60 children
- City contribution: Up to $600,000 toward construction, under an agreement approved earlier this year
- Partners: The City of Enterprise, the YMCA of Greater Montgomery and Paths for Success
- Ownership: The building will be owned and operated by the YMCA
- Groundbreaking: Tuesday, Oct. 6
A city investment in childcare
Under the agreement approved by the city earlier this year, Enterprise will put up to $600,000 toward construction of the new building. Once complete, the roughly 4,200-square-foot facility will be dedicated to childcare and youth development, adding capacity to services the YMCA already offers while complementing its broader family programming.
The center is being developed in partnership with the city and Paths for Success, and leaders say it is meant to expand access to childcare and youth development for families across the Wiregrass.
Cooper framed childcare as an economic issue as much as a family one.
“Safe, affordable and high-quality childcare is not simply a service for the families who use it. It supports working parents. It supports workforce participation. It supports early childhood development. And it contributes to the economic vitality and quality of life of our city.”
Why childcare capacity matters
The mayor’s point reflects a challenge facing communities across Alabama. When parents cannot find a reliable, affordable place for young children, they often cut work hours or leave jobs altogether, and employers lose workers they have trained. Childcare centers, in turn, operate on thin margins and frequently carry waiting lists, especially for infants and toddlers.
Those pressures have been in the news statewide this fall. Changes to Alabama’s Child Care Assistance subsidy program, administered by the Alabama Department of Human Resources and funded largely through the federal Child Care and Development Fund, have left some working families and daycare owners elsewhere in South Alabama scrambling to adjust. New seats at a nonprofit provider such as the YMCA give families another option close to home.
In Enterprise, the need is shaped by the city’s role as a regional hub. The Coffee County city is a short drive from Fort Novosel, the Army’s aviation training center, and many households include military members, civilian workers and contractors who keep demanding schedules. Reliable childcare is a key part of whether young families choose to settle in a community.
‘Greater than any one organization’
AJ Hernandez, president and CEO of the YMCA of Greater Montgomery, said the project shows what can happen when local partners pull in the same direction.
“The YMCA has always been about bringing people together to strengthen families and communities. When there is a need in a community, partnerships like this allow us to come together and create something that is greater than any one organization could accomplish alone.”
A refreshed YMCA with deep local roots
The Enterprise Family YMCA has served the community since 1970, offering generations of families sports leagues, swim lessons, childcare, fitness programs and a place to build friendships.
In August 2025, the Enterprise YMCA became part of the YMCA of Greater Montgomery. The move connected the local Y with the staff, resources and experience of a larger association while keeping its presence in Enterprise. Mergers like this have become increasingly common among YMCAs nationwide, as smaller associations look for financial stability and shared services while continuing to run programs locally.
Since then, the YMCA has invested about $1.35 million in the Enterprise facility and its future. Improvements include upgrades to the basketball gym and new equipment in the fitness center.
Planting trees for the next generation
Cooper closed his remarks with an image about the long view of community building.
“When you plant a tree, you know that it takes time to grow. You may plant it knowing that someone else will one day enjoy its shade. That is the nature of community. We build things today that we may not personally benefit from tomorrow, because we know that the people who come after us will.”
About the YMCA
The YMCA, founded in London in 1844, is one of the largest nonprofit community service organizations in the United States, with local associations in thousands of communities. Its work centers on youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, and childcare is one of its largest services nationally, from early learning centers to before- and after-school programs and summer day camps.
What families should know
A completion date and enrollment details for the new childcare center have not been announced. Families interested in childcare or youth programs, as well as residents who want to see the renovated gym and fitness center, can contact the Enterprise Family YMCA for membership information and updates as construction moves forward.
