A ribbon-cutting took place Friday morning for a project that was long in the making for a childcare facility in Jefferson.

The Children’s Center added a new playground for kids ages three and older that they serve and Director Amy McGinn talked about why this new amenity was warranted.

“We needed a playground for our older kids to play on. They were working on asphalt, playing in dirt piles and in gravel, and in a chain-link cage. And they deserved a place that was as awesome as the inside of our building is.”   

The new playground is located south of the building where the former Greene County School District Administrative building stood. Former President of The Children’s Center, Jacque Andrew, stated that after the new facility was opened in 2022, Greene County School District had the administrative building demolished, then the property was turned over to The Children’s Center, where they hired local contractors were hired to do the building of the playground equipment. 

McGinn said some of the features of the new area include a basketball hoop that was donated by American Athletic Incorporated/Spalding, along with a mini basketball court, a concrete bike path, playground equipment and a spinner. She shared her thoughts on how the final product turned out.

“It has exceeded my expectations. I wasn’t here in the beginning when they were planning it, It is absolutely gorgeous and the kids are dying to get outside and play on it.”

The initial playground that is west of the facility is designed for infants to two year olds and McGinn is hoping to allow the older kids to use the new playground within a couple of weeks. She added that gates need to be installed and the sod will have time to take root.