Full Circle Childcare Center Project Update

There is a lot happening behind the scenes at the Childcare Coalition of Dodge City.

While the Full Circle Childcare Center is one of our most visible projects, the Coalition’s work is much broader. We are designing a facility, developing its operations, supporting existing childcare providers, connecting families with care, working with employers and exploring new partnerships that can strengthen childcare throughout our community.

Thoughtful Planning for the Full Circle Childcare Center

The Full Circle Childcare Center is owned by the Childcare Coalition of Dodge City, and we are working closely with our architect, contractor, engineers and childcare professionals as we move through the design process.

Designing a childcare facility involves much more than creating classrooms. The building must meet KDHE requirements as well as state and local building, fire, safety and accessibility codes while also providing an environment that works well for children, families and staff.

To help us make informed decisions, our team has toured other childcare centers and learned directly from their directors and staff. We have asked what works well, what challenges they have encountered and what they would do differently if they were designing a new facility today.

Those lessons are helping us think through classroom layouts, storage, kitchen facilities, staff spaces, playgrounds and daily operations. We are also involving childcare experts in the design process and working with engineers on important features such as a safe room.

Security and technology are another major part of the planning process. We are evaluating systems for controlled building access, security, child check in and check out, parent communication, classroom management and other daily operations.

We want to make thoughtful decisions now so the facility is safe, functional and adaptable for many years to come.

Preparing to Open the Doors

At the same time we are designing and renovating the building, we are also building the organization that will operate inside it.

The Coalition is developing policies and procedures, parent and employee handbooks, staffing plans, operational budgets and the systems that will guide the center’s daily operations. We are planning for everything from enrollment and staffing to food service, security, technology and communication with families.

We are also closely monitoring the construction budget and working with our project team to make responsible decisions that balance the needs of a quality childcare environment with the long term financial sustainability of the center.

There is a tremendous amount of work involved in opening a childcare center that happens long before the first child walks through the door. We are building the facility and its operations at the same time, and we want to build both well.

Helping Families Find Childcare Today

Our work to address childcare needs is not waiting for the Full Circle Childcare Center to open.

The Coalition created dodgecitychildcare.org to provide a central resource for families and childcare providers throughout Ford County.

The website includes a Provider Directory where families can find information about licensed childcare providers in our community.

We have also launched the Ford County Child Care Waitlist. Families looking for childcare can submit their needs through one centralized system, and participating providers can view the waitlist to identify families whose needs may match openings in their programs.

The waitlist also helps us better understand the childcare needs that exist in our community, including the ages of children needing care and the schedules families are seeking. That information can help guide future childcare efforts and investments.

Supporting the Childcare Providers We Already Have

Opening additional childcare spaces is important, but so is supporting and retaining the centers and in home providers already caring for children in our community.

We continue to communicate with local providers, listen to their challenges and look for opportunities to support their businesses. We want the Coalition to be a resource and partner for providers, not simply the organization developing another childcare center.

Our efforts include helping prospective providers navigate the process of opening a childcare business, providing one on one assistance, connecting providers with resources and creating opportunities for providers to learn from one another.

Those relationships are also helping us identify ways the Coalition can support providers on a larger scale.

Exploring Shared Opportunities

One idea we are currently researching is a Shared Opportunity Cooperative model that could benefit licensed childcare providers throughout the community.

Through a cooperative approach, participating centers and in home providers could potentially combine their purchasing power for goods and services they already use. This might include food, cleaning products, classroom supplies and other operational necessities.

There could eventually be opportunities to explore other shared services and resources as well.

We are still in the research and listening stage. We are learning from cooperative experts and other communities while talking with local providers about what would actually be beneficial to them.

The goal is to find opportunities to reduce costs, strengthen operations and improve sustainability for licensed childcare providers, while allowing each provider to remain an independent business.

Connecting Childcare and Our Workforce

We are also continuing conversations with local businesses and employers about the childcare challenges affecting their employees.

Reliable childcare has a direct impact on a parent's ability to work, maintain consistent hours and remain in the workforce. That makes childcare not only a family issue, but also an important workforce and economic development issue.

By bringing together childcare providers, employers and community partners, we can better understand where the gaps exist and look for solutions that work for families, providers and businesses.

Building a Stronger Childcare System

There may be days when progress on the Full Circle Childcare Center is not easily visible from the road, but there is a tremendous amount of work happening behind the scenes.

We are designing a facility, planning operations, monitoring budgets, developing policies, planning for staffing and technology, learning from other centers, consulting childcare experts, supporting existing providers, connecting families with care, researching cooperative opportunities and building relationships with local employers.

Each of these efforts is part of a bigger picture.

Our goal is not simply to open another childcare center. We are working to build a stronger, more sustainable childcare system that supports children, families, childcare providers and our workforce for generations to come.

We look forward to continuing to share updates as this work moves forward.