A major funding announcement was recently made by a daycare facility in Greene County.

The Paton-Churdan Early Learning Center was just awarded a $600,000 Community Development Block Grant through the Iowa Economic Development Authority. PCELC President Cassie Fiedler points out with other funding mechanisms such as a two-year, $400,000 pledge from Grow Greene County Gaming Corporation; a three-year $180,000 commitment from the Greene County Board of Supervisors, along with other grants, pledges and donations, they are about $430,000 shy of their $1.93 million goal. 

She notes that PCELC has also teamed up with the school itself, by providing the lot for the new building, along with leasing a classroom for their preschool children.

“The daycare is critical to the school district in that we attract a lot of families in the northern (part of the) county or maybe just over the border (with Webster County). It goes hand-in-hand the daycare is a pipeline for the school, and then also having the (P-C) school right there is great for the daycare that the teachers that have their kids there, can just drop their kiddos off right before they go to work. And it’s also beneficial for the families that they have one drop off point.”  

Fiedler says the new 6,500 square feet building will increase their capacity from 52 to 75 children, with six classrooms and one for the P-C preschoolers. It also includes a commercial kitchen, in-room restrooms and a built-in tornado shelter. They are looking to start construction next summer. Tax deductible donations can be made by dropping them off at United Bank in Churdan, through the mail to PCELC P.O. Box 125 in Churdan, or by clicking here.