$5 million state award fuels next stage of project
September 30, 2026
RPI is advancing development of a new community childcare center in partnership with Bright Horizons following a $5 million award from the New York State Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS). Located on the RPI campus and managed by Bright Horizons, the center will expand access to high-quality childcare for RPI students, faculty, and staff, as well as families throughout the Capital Region.
The project builds on planning efforts announced in 2024 after RPI received $2.5 million from Empire State Development (ESD) and $900k from NYSERDA to support the initiative. The newly awarded funding from the OCFS enables the Institute to move into the next phase of development as part of Governor Kathy Hochul's statewide investment to expand childcare capacity and improve access for working families.
“This project represents what can be accomplished when institutions come together to address important community needs,” said Martin A. Schmidt, president of RPI. “We are grateful to Governor Hochul, OCFS, ESD, and NYSERDA for bringing this vision closer to reality. We are thrilled to work with our community partners on this project and look forward to the positive impact this center will have for families as they navigate the demands of education, work, and caregiving.”
Located on Detroit Avenue adjacent to RPI's East Campus Athletic Village, the center will provide 116 full-time childcare spaces for children under the age of 5, as well as additional back-up care and vacation programming for 20 school-age children. Enrollment will prioritize RPI students, faculty, and staff while remaining open to the general public.
Operated in partnership with Bright Horizons, the nation’s leading provider of employer-sponsored child care, the center will provide a safe, nurturing, and engaging environment designed to support the needs of working families. The child care center will feature a Discovery Driven Learning™ approach to learning to inspire curiosity and support school readiness and a life-long love of learning. The curriculum will feature a variety of age-appropriate early education programs where children explore and learn through STEM, creative arts, language development, social and emotional skills, all through hands-on learning and play.
The Institute is currently working with Bright Horizons to plan for the center's operations and construction and anticipate welcoming families to the center in late 2027. As planning and development continue, RPI will provide updates throughout the fall semester and beyond, including project milestones, enrollment information, tuition details, and opportunities for the campus and broader community to ask questions and learn more.
About Bright Horizons Family Solutions Inc.
Bright Horizons® is a leading provider of high-quality early education and child care, comprehensive back-up care solutions, and educational advisory services. For 40 years, Bright Horizons has partnered with employers to support workforces by providing services that help working families and employees thrive personally and professionally. Bright Horizons operates approximately 1,000 early education and child care centers in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, and India, and serves more than 1,450 of the world’s leading employers. For more information, go to www.brighthorizons.com.
About Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Founded in 1824 for the application of science to the common purposes of life, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is the first technological research university in the United States. Today, it is recognized as a premier university, noted for its robust and holistic learning community that connects creativity with science and technology. RPI is dedicated to inventing for the future, from shaping the scientists, engineers, technologists, architects, financiers, managers, and entrepreneurs who will define what’s next for humanity, to research that bridges disciplines to solve the world's toughest problems. Learn more at rpi.edu.