The long-anticipated new full-fledged Child Care Center that was part of the Heartland Community Schools’ successful bond election will soon be open!
As the Henderson Child Development Center prepares for the completion and licensing of its new HCDC Child Care Center, they are announcing a Capital Campaign to raise funds to assist in transitioning to a larger facility.
It is an exciting time for the Henderson Child Development Center (HCDC). They are in the final stages of preparing to move into the newly completed Daycare Center next to the Heartland Community School entrance.
“We hope to be moved in and operating there in the next month after we have met all the state requirements,” said Dot Quiring, the HCDC Board President. “Right now, at our current location, we are licensed as a Family Child Care Home II, which has a maximum of 12 children. We will be able to triple our size when we are licensed as a Child Care Center, where we will be able to have up to 40 children.”
With such a significant increase in enrollment comes added expenses, according to Quiring. They will need to increase their supplies, materials, toys, food, and staff. They currently have 27 children on their waiting list and anticipate that they will reach full capacity once the center is up and running.
“There is a great need for more child care in our community, and we are so excited to be able to offer quality daycare to more families. I look forward to being able to meet more people as we expand our services,” said Director Lexy Gyhra. She has been the HCDC Director for the past two years and is a 2019 Hampton graduate.
Director Lexy Gyhra is standing in front of the divided wall with windows, which is the designated sleeping area in the infant room, where there will be space for eight cribs.
In preparation for these increased costs, HCDC has launched a capital campaign. “Our goal is to raise $25,000. We also need an additional $10,000 a year to supplement our budget. The tuition charges only cover our staff salaries but not all our other increased needs,” said Quiring.
Click on this LINK to view more information about the capital campaign and how you can contribute.
Henderson Child Development Center (HCDC) is a non-profit organization started in 2017 that provides care for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years old. It is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization that is run by a six-member board: Dot Quiring, Val Scheil, Katie Waegli, Danielle Cox, Kori Lewis, and Janet May. The Director, Lexy Gyhra, and Brad Janzen, who serves as a temporary consultant, are non-voting members of the board.
“We applied for an expansion grant from the Department of Health & Human Services and will be receiving $10,000, which will help us transition to the center,” said Quiring. Part of the holdup on getting the center up and running is that HCDC has not yet received the funds from this grant, so they can’t purchase the equipment needed quite yet.
Before the center can officially open, it will need approval from the State Fire Marshall and meet all the regulations and requirements from the Department of Health & Human Services. “During the waiting, we will be moving some supplies and equipment into the new center, and we are in the process of interviewing for the hiring of more staff,” said Quiring.
Hiring good staff is a priority for HCDC because parents need to know their children are “being loved and cared for so they can go do their thing,” said Quiring.
“My main focus is hiring good people who love kids and are going to stick around,” said Gyhra.
“Our emphasis is on positive attachment care and overall social and emotional development, especially in the infant area,” said Quiring. “We understand how important the first year of life is with parents as primary caregivers, and we come in as secondary caregivers.”
The interior of the new daycare is stunning, even without toys, equipment, and appliances. Its entrance includes the same type of security system as the school has, and parents and visitors will be ‘buzzed’ in before being able to enter. The director has a small office next to the entry where she can monitor those checking in.
Here are a few photos showing the layout and special features.
The preschool room features a large carpeted area with laminate flooring, two restrooms, a washing station, and plenty of room for up to 20 children aged three to five.
The toddler room for 18-month-olds to three-year-olds has plenty of cubby space, a washing station, and one restroom. It has an access door to the adjoining changing station room.
The changing station room has excellent lighting, handwashing, and room for diaper changing. A unique feature is the pullout diaper bin for used diapers that is vented to the outside. This room can be accessed from the toddler room and the infant space.
The yellow room will be for infants, which is partially divided with a designated sleeping area. The state required the extra-wide exterior gate and exit door on this room in case of an emergency to remove the cribs. Another great feature is a private nursing room (located through the window on the left) for mothers to pump milk or nurse their babies without being disturbed. That room will have a comfortable chair and a refrigerator for storing milk.
In the meantime, HCDC will still be operating at its current location, which was generously provided for the past seven years by Grace Children’s Home.
“We are so thankful and appreciative of Grace Children’s Home and their partnership over the years, first with Director Chuck Patrie and now with Mark Danielson. Mark has such a child-centered focus and has been great to work with. They have been understanding and flexible about the uncertainty of when we will be moving out of their facility,” said Quiring.
They plan on holding an open house in the future so the community can come inside and see for themselves what a great facility HCDC has to offer for quality childcare. Below is the completed play structure outside the preschool room and the spacious kitchen, where food will be prepared and put on carts for children to eat in their rooms.
The Henderson community has long dreamed of a child care center of this size and high quality. Congratulations to the Heartland School Board and its patrons for passing the bond, and to the HCDC Board of Directors for seeing this vision through to completion.
