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Ribbon Cutting for McCook Community College's Child Development Center
McCOOK, Neb. – A recent ribbon cutting ceremony was momentarily interrupted by protests coming from a toddler, as well as the exuberance of preschoolers who were excited to be members of the dignitary honored for their involvement in the project.
The ribbon cutting and open house happened Monday afternoon on the McCook Community College campus in the lower level of Walsh Brady Hall, the newly-renovated space for the Child Development Center. Tyler Esch, Family and Consumer Science Instructor and Director of the CDC, expressed her appreciation for the beautiful space, but added, “What really makes this space special is what happens in it. It is the day-to-day interactions where kids are singing, and finding rolly pollies, and looking at weird bugs that we saw outside today, and learning to build, and do puzzles, and literacy, and learning to be a friend. That’s what makes this space a special space. And what makes that happen, is the CDC staff.”
She went on to say that the commitment that Mid Plains Community College has made to the CDC is critical to building strong communities because the early childhood workforce is at a crisis point. “This space is designed to serve the needs of young kids, but it’s also designed to train college students to be those teachers that make these spaces come alive.” The center is licensed for 40 children, but could facilitate an additional 17 children, although staffing limits that expansion.
The project carried a price tag of $1.3 million and consisted of remodeling approximately 5,000 square feet of interior space, as well as 2,000 square feet outdoors, according to Mike Steele, Vice President of Administrative Services at MPCC. The project was a long time in development, Steel said, postponed for a period due to Covid. The facility houses separate areas, an infant room, toddler room, pre-K room, family and consumer sciences teaching lab, kitchen, and a multi-purpose room “so you can ride your trike inside if the weather’s bad”.
During part of the renovation, McCook Community College’s Student Union was used to temporarily house the child-care center. “One carpet cleaning, put the furniture back, and you’d never know that they were in there. They were kinder to the space than they even thought they were,” Steel joked.
Ryan Purdy, President of MPCC said the Child Development Center will provide a state-of-the-art learning lab for students to learn about the importance of early childhood education, as well as a wonderful place for young children to get a head start on life and their education.
