The Rangeley Child Care Center received the Androscoggin Valley Council of Government’s Economic Development Award for its efforts to provide affordable childcare to the region. The award was presented at a ceremony in Auburn on Wednesday, April 29.

The award recognized the childcare center as an economic engine for the region, providing up to 14 jobs while also reducing the childcare burden on working families.

“We are proud to receive this commendation for enhancing the greater Rangeley community with affordable and reliable childcare services,” Ellen Oppenheim, chair of the board of directors for RCCC, said.

The center opened in October 2025 as the only licensed childcare facility in the region. The facility has more than 40 slots for prekindergartners. Around half of those are filled. Oppenheim said the organization expects to see increases in enrollment in the coming years.

“When we were planning this project, we determined it made sense to build for the future,” Oppenheim said. “And I think we all realize that, whether we like it or not, Rangeley is growing.”

Enrollment prices are based on family size and income. The center qualifies for the Maine Child Care Affordability Program, which provides state benefits for working families who need childcare costs covered.

“Under the newly approved benefits, 85% of the children enrolled at the Rangeley Child Care Center have applied for — and been accepted into — the CCAP program,” the center news release said. “As a result, these families are now paying dramatically reduced rates for their childcare, with eligible families paying as little as $0 per week.”

The startup of the nonprofit was funded largely through state and federal grants and donations, with a majority of the initial funding coming from the Northern Borders Regional Commission and the Maine Child Care Infrastructure Act.

Much of the push for more childcare in Rangeley came from Beth Brunswick, one of the founders of Rangeley Health and Wellness, who died in 2022. After she died, the Beth Brunswick Memorial Fund for Children was established to build the center.

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