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Parents and specialists warn Quincy move could halve early‑intervention group services at Molly Hersburg Learning Center
Summary
Parents, therapists and advocates told the City Council that moving Aspire Health Alliance’s early intervention group services from the Molly Hersburg Learning Center to a single room at 54 Miller Street would be inadequate, could reduce capacity for about 90 enrolled children by roughly half, and urged the city to secure equivalent space before any relocation.
Parents and service providers urged the Quincy City Council to prevent an imminent reduction in early intervention (EI) group services tied to a proposed relocation. Speakers said Aspire Health Alliance’s group programming currently operates at the Molly Hersburg Learning Center in purpose-built classrooms and that the city has offered a single room at 54 Miller Street that lacks indoor gym space, outdoor play areas and other critical accommodations.
Who spoke and what they said Several parents and specialists described the Molly Hersburg facility as a purpose-built site that supports structured therapeutic group work for babies and toddlers with developmental delays. Speakers explained that EI group services involve therapy routines, accessible bathrooms, sensory accommodations and observation spaces that cannot be replicated in a single-room site. Tamika Odin, a parent, and Mike Brockington, a national-board‑certified teacher, said moving services to a smaller location could force roughly half of the current ~90 children out of the program because the substitute site lacks space and safety features.
Requests made to the city Speakers asked the mayor and administration to take two actions: (1) find and secure a facility that is equivalent to or better than the Molly Hersburg Learning Center before relocating services; and (2) keep EI group services operating at Molly Hersburg until that equivalent space is ready. They emphasized that early intervention is time-sensitive and that interruptions can create developmental setbacks that are not easily remedied.
Administration response and next steps At the June 1 meeting the council heard the parents’ testimony; the administration did not announce a final relocation plan or timeline during the meeting. Councilors asked that the city work with Aspire to identify a suitable alternative location and that any move preserve current capacity and program quality. No final city decision was recorded in the transcript; parents asked for written assurances and follow-up conversations with city staff and Aspire Health Alliance.
