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*For Immediate Release:    *     
November 17, 2023
          
*Contact:    *     
Grace Hoge
[email protected]

*Governor Kelly Breaks Ground on Early Childhood Community Center to Expand Child Care
in Lawrence*

"~~$4.9M From Kansas Children’s Cabinet will Create Nearly 140 More
Child Care Slots~~"

*LAWRENCE *– Governor Laura Kelly broke ground yesterday on the Community Children's Center’s 24/7 child care facility in Lawrence. Last week, Governor Kelly announced [ [link removed] ] that the Community Children’s Center received $4.9 million in Capital Projects Fund Accelerator [ [link removed] ] funds through the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund to build this facility and create nearly 140 more slots for child care over the 24-hour day.

“Expanding access to multi-purpose community facilities like the Community Children’s Center is a fundamental part of my commitment to making Kansas the best place in the country to raise a family,” *Governor Laura Kelly said*. “Devoting resources to early childhood development and care and helping the next generation get a strong start to life is the smartest investment a community can make in its future.”

The Community Children’s Center (CCC) is a nonprofit providing high-quality child care for infants to five-year-olds in Douglas County, as well as wrap-around support and co-located workforce development, educational programming, health monitoring services, and broadband access.

The CCC’s Early Childhood Community Center will provide drop-in and occasional care with sliding-scale tuition. Additionally, the Early Childhood Community Center will serve as a multi-purpose community facility, providing a hub of resources and services for families.

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) from the U.S. Department of Treasury Capital Projects Fund made the funding possible.

“We are thrilled to be at this milestone in increasing access to high-quality, affordable child care and improving the lives of both families with young children and early childhood professionals,” *Kim Polson, Director of Community Children’s Center, said*.

“The Kansas Children’s Cabinet is delighted to be able to continue to address child care needs in communities across the state,” *Melissa Rooker, Executive Director of the Kansas Children’s Cabinet, said. *“The Capital Projects Fund Accelerator offers the unique opportunity to embed high-quality child care in multi-purpose community facilities that address a wide range of community needs. The Community Children’s Center plans to serve as incubator space for employers in the Douglas County area, as well as offering a wide range of services through the family resource center model. The icing on the cake is the 24-hour child care program at the heart of their project plan. We are excited to help this project come to fruition in collaboration with the Lawrence – Douglas County community.”

The facility is planned to open in 2024.

The below photos from today’s event are available for media use.


* Photo 1 [ [link removed] ]
* Photo 2 [ [link removed] ]
* Photo 3 [ [link removed] ]

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