Child Care Center Facilities Development & Financing

Introduction

Whether large or small, these projects take time and money so it is important to do them right. This guide will show you how.

Reasons to improve child care facilities typically include:

• Health and Safety. Programs are often in older buildings that may suffer from things such as lead paint contamination, splintering flooring and handrails, poor ventilation or unsafe play equipment.
• Quality. The way that a facility is designed and configured can have a big impact on the quality of your program. Some examples include bathrooms adjacent to classrooms, toilets, sinks and counters at child-height, physically divided spaces for groups of children, good natural light, adequate storage, and space for adults to plan and meet.
• Stability. Too often programs in low-cost space face eviction from their landlords. Many programs share space with other services, such as a Sunday school, and constantly have to pack and unpack classroom supplies and equipment.
• Expansion. Programs that maintain long waiting lists may consider expanding to a larger facility. Facilities currently serving only certain age groups such as preschoolers may want to expand to incorporate children of other ages such as infants and toddlers, or adapt their space to serve children with special needs.

Once you decide to pursue a facility project, it’s easy to get swept up in the excitement and neglect to devote enough time and attention to the type of careful planning that is needed. This guide identifies all the steps in the process, and will help you turn your idea for new or improved space into a successfully completed project.

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