The intersection of Bigler and McKean roads is no longer merely a crossroad for Penn State students rushing off to class. On Feb. 8, the brand new Bennett Family Center opened at the intersection, replacing the former Cedar Child Care Center.

Included within its freshly-painted walls is a before and after school room, 10 classrooms, a staff break room, offices and a full-service kitchen where breakfast, lunch and snacks will be prepared daily.

"It's a really nice building with a lot of lights," said Wendy Whitesell, director of the Bennett Family Center. "It's refreshing."

One difference between the old center and the Bennett Family Center is the addition of observation rooms. Between every two classrooms is an observation room that allows parents, administrators and students to watch and analyze the children.

Because of its location between two classrooms, viewers can observe and compare the differences between children in two different age groups at play. Parents concerned about their child's adjustment are also invited to watch from the observation room.

"If their child is having a rough time separating from them in the morning, they can step into the (observation) room and watch them to make sure they're alright, and then they can feel OK to go on their way," Whitesell said.

Currently, the Bennett Family Center is equipped to care for 140 children of university employees.

"It draws from faculty, staff and students," said Amy Neil, information officer for the Department of Public Information.

Implementing a new strategy, administrators asked these parents to decide before the building switch whether they wanted their child to be on one of two learning tracks: mixed age grouping or age-grade grouping. Both tracks allow children to learn different specialized social and development skills.

Although it formerly enrolled only children from birth to 6 years of age, the center received a grant that will allow it to implement a school-aged program for children in kindergarten to 3rd grade. Transportation to and from elementary school is also provided for school-aged children from the child care center.

The entire project took five years of planning and a $1 million donation from alumna Edna Bennett Pierce before breaking ground. Many people collaborated on the building plans for the new 13,000 square foot center.

"The construction of this building was truly a team effort," said Linda Pierce, Coordinator of Work Life Programs. "We're pulling in resources from staff all over the university."

Linda Pierce said that besides the support of parents and contractors, personnel from the Office of Physical Plant, Office of Human Resources, College of Health and Human Development and other university departments joined forces to develop the best center possible.

The center not only provides childcare, but will also focus on research and community outreach.

"We're excited for the opportunities it's going to provide for research opportunity," said Betsy Manlove, assistant professor in human development and family studies, and faculty person in charge of overseeing the Bennett Family Center.

Manlove and others involved have received overwhelming positive responses in the last few weeks pertaining to the quality of the center.

"I hear it's a great place," Neil said. "I told them, 'gee, you make me want to have kids.' "