Source: Bernard Pitts, 785-532-6591, bpitts@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, 785-532-6415,
ebarcomb@k-state.edu
Thursday, July 12, 2007
K-STATE CONTINUING LEGACY OF QUALITY ON-CAMPUS CHILD CARE WITH NEW BUILDING FOR K-STATE CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER
MANHATTAN -- Changes at Kansas State University's child care center are helping the university continue a long tradition of providing quality care for the children of K-State students, staff and faculty.
K-State's Child Development Center is now under the auspices of K-State student life. K-State is planning for a new facility that will expand the number of children the center can care for by more than 50 while also providing more opportunities for toddlers and infants.
"Infant and toddler care is a crisis situation in our community," said Debra Ring, director of the K-State Child Development Center. "It's really important that we will be able to expand our infant and toddler care to meet the need."
By August, K-State plans to have architects hired for the new center, which will be at the east end of Jardine Drive. The university plans to open the doors in fall 2009. Ring said the new center will have room for more than 230 children, as well as boost the center's capacity to care for infants and toddlers. K-State's Student Governing Association supported the new center with funds for its creation.
Bernard Pitts, assistant vice president for institutional advancement and director of the K-State Student Union, said that the university is committed to providing quality early child care on the K-State campus.
"Data suggest that to prepare children for success starts with quality early care," Pitts said. "The K-State student leadership and central administration's commitment toward a new child care facility speaks to their understanding of this valued support for our campus community."
According to M. Duane Nellis, K-State provost and senior vice president, "Planning for a new child care facility and linking this important operation directly to K-State is a significant step forward in enhancing our support of our K-State faculty, staff and students' families."
With the K-State Child Development Center now part of K-State student life, the center's staff members are now university classified employees.
"Nationwide, turnover in child care staff is 30 percent to 40 percent," Ring said. "Becoming a university department has given us the ability to offer our staff the benefits they seek. This unprecedented support from the university will result in our center attracting and retaining staff that is qualified in early childhood education. There are child care centers that would give anything for this kind of support."