Last night, two emails were sent: one to parents, and one from the president to the college community.

What parents got:

Dear Fort Hill Families,

I write to share some difficult news regarding the future of the Smith College Center for Early Childhood Education at Fort Hill. Following a review of the College’s childcare benefits and operations, Smith College has made the decision to close Fort Hill on June 4, 2027.

Fort Hill is a warm, nurturing community, and we know how much you value the dedicated teachers and staff who care for your children every day. This decision is not a reflection of the quality of education and care at Fort Hill, nor is it a budget-relieving measure. Instead, Smith is expanding its overall childcare benefit to a model that provides flexible childcare benefits for employees with children up to age 12 across any licensed and accredited provider. 

We know how important stability is for young children and working families, which is why we are announcing this transition now. Fort Hill will remain open and operate normally through June 4, 2027.

We invite you to attend an information session with CECE Director Jen Godlesky and me via Zoom on Monday, Oct. 26, at 6 p.m. (link to follow). Over the coming months, our top priority is supporting your family through this transition.

We are profoundly grateful for the trust you place in Fort Hill. We are committed to communicating with you throughout this transition with transparency, care, and respect while working closely with union leadership and Smith staff members.

Sincerely,

Anne-Marie Szmyt
Vice President for Human Resources

What the Smith community got:

Dear Friends,

I write to share an important update regarding the College’s childcare benefits as well as the future of the Smith College Center for Early Childhood Education at Fort Hill.

Following a review of our current benefit programs, the College will significantly expand its childcare benefit to cover employees with children age 0 to age 12 enrolled at any licensed and accredited childcare provider. Under the current model, childcare support is limited exclusively to the Smith College Center for Early Childhood Education at Fort Hill and children ages 8 weeks to preschool. This is a thoughtful and difficult decision because it involves a significant reallocation of resources such that Fort Hill will close on June 4, 2027.

With this expanded benefit, Smith families will have the freedom to choose licensed and accredited childcare aligned with their schedules and tailored to their specific needs. Currently, around 45 employees participate in the College’s childcare benefit program. The expanded benefit will offer approximately 350 faculty and staff employees the ability to receive a childcare subsidy. Our colleagues in Human Resources will share more details about the expanded childcare benefit in the next few weeks.

I want to be clear that, though the College is actively working to address a structural deficit, this is not a budget-relieving decision. In fact, we are reallocating Smith’s current investment toward a modern, broader childcare benefit model.

We know that changes to childcare can have a significant impact on families. While this decision was not an easy one, it was made with deep gratitude for our Fort Hill colleagues and with a commitment to work collaboratively with union leadership to provide transition support.

Fort Hill has provided exemplary early education and care for young children of Smith employees and members of the community. We remain deeply committed to honoring that remarkable legacy by fully supporting our Fort Hill children, families, and staff throughout this transition.

Sincerely,

Sarah Willie-LeBreton
President

this is right downtown in northampton
if you see these bugs, kill them they are invasive and destructive

The pretty new signs at the Fitzgerald Lake Conservation Area (FLCA) have been consistently vandalized by a person or persons who seem to think they can disobey leash laws in Northampton and are angry that dogs should be leashed in a conservation area.

Please if you see anyone vandalizing these signs, report to the police and Broad Brook Coalition (via website). If you can I.D. them, that's great too.

Thanks folks. (If you insist on being an off leash advocate in a conservation area, please watch this full video.

Edit: typo & clarification

Where are the best bars/spots to watch the C's? The Brass Cat is a personal favorite, but I'd love to hear other recommendations, especially in Northampton. Bonus points if you know they have access to the Amazon Prime-exclusive games, such as Friday against the Knicks. TIA!

I have 2 tickets for tonight’s sold-out performance that starts at 6:30. Listed on StubHub for $63 each but happy to sell them directly for $45 each.