Long Beach City College’s Child Development Center will soon receive much-needed improvements to its playground — because of newly awarded federal funding.
Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Long Beach, presented the community college with a $1.5 million check of Community Project Funding during a press conference on Friday, Feb. 6, at LBCC’s Child Development Center on its Trades, Technology and Community Learning Campus.
“We know reliable childcare can make a real difference for families, and the LBCC Children Development Center is a space that so many families rely on,” Garcia said. “At LBCC, many of our students and faculty are also parents, and having a safe, welcoming place for their kids matters.”
The Child Development Center, located at the college’s Central Long Beach campus, provides licensed childcare and early education services for the children of LBCC students, faculty, staff and nearby community members, college officials said.
Congressman Robert Garcia is joined by Board of Trustees President Uduak-Joe Ntuk, left, and LBCC Superintendent-President Dr. Mike Muñoz to hand out ice cream to pre-schoolers from LBCC’s Child Development Center after announcing that Long Beach City College will receive $1.5 million Community Project funding for new outdoor playground equipment, after a press conference on Friday February 6, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Congressman Robert Garcia is joined by Board of Trustees President Uduak-Joe Ntuk, LBCC Superintendent-President Dr. Mike Muñoz and pre-schoolers from LBCC’s Child Development Center to announce that Long Beach City College will receive $1.5 million Community Project funding for new outdoor playground equipment, at a press conference on Friday February 6, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Congressman Robert Garcia is joined by Board of Trustees President Uduak-Joe Ntuk, left, LBCC Superintendent-President Dr. Mike Muñoz, 2nd from right, and pre-schoolers from LBCC’s Child Development Center to announce that Long Beach City College will receive $1.5 million Community Project funding for new outdoor playground equipment, at a press conference on Friday February 6, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Congressman Robert Garcia is joined by Board of Trustees President Uduak-Joe Ntuk, left, LBCC Superintendent-President Dr. Mike Muñoz, 2nd from right, and pre-schoolers from LBCC’s Child Development Center to announce that Long Beach City College will receive $1.5 million Community Project funding for new outdoor playground equipment, at a press conference on Friday February 6, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Congressman Robert Garcia is joined by Board of Trustees President Uduak-Joe Ntuk, LBCC Superintendent-President Dr. Mike Muñoz and pre-schoolers from LBCC’s Child Development Center to announce that Long Beach City College will receive $1.5 million Community Project funding for new outdoor playground equipment, at a press conference on Friday February 6, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Congressman Robert Garcia is joined by Board of Trustees President Uduak-Joe Ntuk, LBCC Superintendent-President Dr. Mike Muñoz and pre-schoolers from LBCC’s Child Development Center to announce that Long Beach City College will receive $1.5 million Community Project funding for new outdoor playground equipment, at a press conference on Friday February 6, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Congressman Robert Garcia poses for pictures with a group of pre-schoolers from LBCC’s Child Development Center after announcing that Long Beach City College will receive $1.5 million Community Project funding for new outdoor playground equipment, at a press conference on Friday February 6, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Congressman Robert Garcia is joined by Board of Trustees President Uduak-Joe Ntuk, left, LBCC Superintendent-President Dr. Mike Muñoz, right, to announce that Long Beach City College will receive $1.5 million Community Project funding for new outdoor playground equipment, at a press conference on Friday February 6, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Congressman Robert Garcia is joined by Board of Trustees President Uduak-Joe Ntuk, left, LBCC Superintendent-President Dr. Mike Muñoz, right, and pre-schoolers from LBCC’s Child Development Center to announce that Long Beach City College will receive $1.5 million Community Project funding for new outdoor playground equipment, at a press conference on Friday February 6, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
Congressman Robert Garcia is joined by Board of Trustees President Uduak-Joe Ntuk, LBCC Superintendent-President Dr. Mike Muñoz and pre-schoolers from LBCC’s Child Development Center to announce that Long Beach City College will receive $1.5 million Community Project funding for new outdoor playground equipment, at a press conference on Friday February 6, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
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Congressman Robert Garcia is joined by Board of Trustees President Uduak-Joe Ntuk, left, and LBCC Superintendent-President Dr. Mike Muñoz to hand out ice cream to pre-schoolers from LBCC’s Child Development Center after announcing that Long Beach City College will receive $1.5 million Community Project funding for new outdoor playground equipment, after a press conference on Friday February 6, 2026. (Photo by Axel Koester, Contributing Photographer)
“At Long Beach City College, we know that learning does not happen in isolation,” Superintendent-President Mike Muñoz said. “Many of the CDC families we serve face real barriers to outdoor play, whether because parents are balancing work and school or because nearby parks are not easily accessible in their neighborhoods. As a result, the TTC CDC becomes one of the few places where children can reliably experience safe, enriching outdoor play during their day.
“I want to thank Congressman Robert Garcia for championing Long Beach City College and for recognizing the importance of supporting families through investments like this one,” Muñoz added. “We are grateful for this partnership, and I’m excited to have the impact of this program continue for many years to come.”
The $1.5 million will be used to redesign the center’s outdoor play area, replace the outdated playground equipment and create a more functional space tailored specifically for early childhood use. The new playground equipment will serve children ages 3 to 5, according to college officials.
Currently, the playground equipment and surfacing are about 20 years old, said Stacey Smith-Clark, manager of the TTC Child Development Center. Children are playing outside for almost three hours in their day, she said, and would benefit from refreshed and more challenging equipment.
This investment also reflects the college’s broader commitment to removing barriers and creating campus environments where students and parents can thrive, college officials said.
“Our board of trustees is deeply committed to investing in infrastructure that promotes safety, equity, and opportunities across our campuses and our four cities that we serve,” said LBCC Board of Trustees President Uduak-Joe Nutk. “This playground project is directly aligned with those priorities, and we’re looking forward to buying new equipment here for the children.”
The new playground, officials said, is anticipated to be installed and ready for children to use in 2027.