Pittsburgh Opera has announced the debut of an innovative program to make it easier for patrons to enjoy their opera performances.

The company announced that it will be offering free childcare to children ages 2-12 at the Sunday, March 24th matinee performance of “La Traviata” at the Benedum Center. The childcare will take place onsite at the Benedum Center, in its multipurpose room and will be used exclusively for this service.

The Pittsburg opera noted that there will be a limited number of spaces available, and pre-registration is required. The minimum age to attend these opera performances and sit in the audience is six. However, children as young as two will be able to use the childcare service. Children between the ages of six and twelve have the option of seeing the opera with tickets at 50% off or using the childcare service at no charge.

In a statement, Pittsburgh Opera’s Director of Marketing & Communications Chris Cox said, “For families with young children, finding and paying for a reliable babysitter can be a real barrier to attending arts and entertainment events. This new program allows parents to enjoy the performance with peace of mind knowing that their young kids are being cared for right down the hall by trained, certified professionals. We hope to offer this again at future performances later this year, and that our childcare program inspires copy-cat offerings from other arts organizations once they see how successful it can be.”