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Case Study – Happy Days ADH Center, Chelsea, MA

Happy Days Adult Day Health (ADH) Program, Inc., a longstanding adult care center in Chelsea, MA, faced closure in late 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After six years of operation, the pandemic-induced decline in attendance and revenue led to a permanent shutdown. However, its closure paved the way for a transformational project that would benefit the local community.

Creative Class

Happy Days Adult Day Health (ADH) Program, Inc. was an Adult Day Care Program that
was forced to close its doors because of the Covid-19 pandemic after six years in operation. The
pandemic hit hard the Center beginning in the spring of 2020, with a gradual loss of revenue
since the elderly stopped coming to the facilities. After various attempts to re-start the Program,
the management team decided to close the facilities permanently in late 2021. They have over
4,000 sq.ft. of empty space in the building.

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Ms. Ana M. Betancourt, owner, and founder of Happy Days ADH Program decided to pursue
her longtime dream of establishing a child daycare center for infant and preschool children (ages
6 months to years of age) offering not only daycare services but also early education to the
children. With this empty space in her building, Ana found the opportunity to make her lifelong
dream a reality. With the help of the Hispanic American Institute (HAI), Ana developed a
remodeling plan for the existing facility to fit a child daycare and education center within the
existing space. A Letter of Intent (LOI) was developed by HAI, which lays out the concept, a
construction plan and a cost estimate as well as a financial cash flow projection for three years of
operation of the new Child Day Care center.


Smart Babies Childcare (SBC) is a new facility, housed within the building located at 135
Library Street in Chelsea, previously the site of the ADH Program. The newly renovated space
will house Smart Babies Childcare that will be offering childcare, Preschool, and before and after
school Program services to Chelsea families. Located in Chelsea’s Box District, the facility is
within walking distance of low- and moderate- income families residing in The Box District and
in other Chelsea neighborhoods. Smart Babies Childcare will offer educational and childcare
services to children ranging in age from 6 months to 6 years old. SBC will foster a nurturing,
loving, and safe environment where a child will feel comfortable while learning foundational
skills that will enable them to have successful cognitive, behavioral, and emotional development
during his/her growth stages. SBC’s teaching staff are all highly qualified and certified as early
education teachers and will receive the latest in training and development. SBC will offer
competitive tuition rates to all families. The renovated facility will also have a secure-access
system to ensure that only verified parents and visitors are allowed on site.

 

Smart Babies Childcare will offer a variety of programs that are tailored to the age of the child.
There are toddler, preschool, and pre-kindergarten classes that are kept small and allow for
maximum interaction between children and teachers in the classroom. Following are the services
to be offered by SBC:
• Infant (6 months to 2 years)
• Toddler class (2 to 3 years old)
• Preschool class (3 to 4 years old)
• Pre-kindergarten 3 class (4 to 5 years old)
• Pre-kindergarten 4 class (5 to 6 years old)
• Before and After School Program (6 to 9 years old) – option to pursue in the future

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