A Kansas State University Research and Extension agent in Wichita County says a child care center that is scheduled to open in early 2022 in Leoti is a testament to what can happen when a community works together on a common problem.

Family and consumer sciences agent Aimee Baker says the Grow and Learn Child Care Center is expected to open its doors on Jan. 3, ending a situation she described as “chaos” for local families needing care for their children.

Baker was the featured speaker during the June 4 First Friday e-Call, a monthly online series hosted by K-State Research and Extension that helps to nurture small businesses and inspire entrepreneurship in Kansas. The online discussions, which routinely host dozens of Kansas residents from the public and private sectors, are available free each month.

Child care challenge

“When we started this process, we knew that we would have to show people why we need child care in Wichita County,” Baker says.

She showed a slide that depicted the mayhem that often accompanied families’ typical challenges to secure child care. It included finding relatives to watch their children on certain days of the week, or driving 40 miles to the nearest in-home child care, leaving work early, and juggling which days of the week the child goes to one location or another.

Then, the whole schedule may completely change from week to week.

“Not only is this time-consuming for parents and the family,” Baker says, “but mentally, this is a very chaotic environment for the child to be growing up in.”

Working parents

Baker, who has worked as an Extension agent for six years, is the interim president of Grow and Learn Child Care, a project to build a child care center in Leoti. She and her husband, who is president of a bank in Wynona, are raising two children ages 6 and 3.

“We all know that child care is a huge issue in each of our Kansas counties,” Baker says. “And we’re all trying to find ways to extend our help and resources.”

When a local child care option opens that parents trust, it can take away what was once chaos and give the adults the confidence to return to the workforce — something that also boosts the local economy, according to Baker.

“Knowing your child is being taken care of every day, and that they are in a safe environment where they are being nurtured, is going to make you more valuable in the workforce,” she says.

Surveys in Wichita County found that 84 families were in need of child care that was affordable, safe and provided a nurturing environment. Of the 84, 67 adults indicated they would return to the local workforce if they could find appropriate care.

Long road

Baker says she has worked to establish an adequate facility since 2017, during which time the group has formed a public-private partnership with the local school district, established nonprofit status, written bylaws and raised funds, among other accomplishments.

But it hasn’t been easy. “This all looks nice and neat, but in the process, I was having conversations with [people], and our economic development officer was talking with others,” Baker says. “There were many conversations happening that led us to where we are today.”

Some of the key positions, individuals, funding and concepts learned include:

• Grant writers. The local group has applied for nine grants and has only been turned down once.

• Community service tax credits. This program is offered by the Kansas Department of Commerce. It allows the state to authorize nonprofit organizations to offer tax credits to donors contributing to approved projects.

• Community alumni. Use mailing lists to contact people who many no longer live in the area, but still have strong ties to the community. Baker says they raised about $80,000 from Wichita County alumni.

• Preferred contractor. Baker says the local group wasted time offering a bidding process that wouldn’t have resulted in the facility they needed. She suggests working with a trusted contractor to negotiate timelines, budget and other items on your list.

Baker says the Grow and Learn Child Care Center is still working on funding, but the project is well on its way to completion in early 2022.

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