MOUNT VERNON — The Salvation Army is embarking on an expansion project that will add 76 child care spots for infants through pre-kindergarten.
The agency plans a new 13,720-square-foot child care center that includes a gym, outside playground area, sensory room, and nine classrooms. The current after-school program, the Learning Zone, will relocate to the new building.
The Learning Zone houses 36 students. The additional 76 child care placements brings the Army’s total care spaces to 112.
The new center is the first significant move toward creating additional child care spaces, something that studies show the community desperately needs.
Austin Swallow, president of The Salvation Army’s capital campaign committee, said the project has taken a long time to come together. It started with a 2017 assessment of needs in the community.
“Twenty-one recommendations came back. We narrowed them down and one of them was child care,” Swallow said.
The Area Development Foundation’s 2022 survey bolsters the Army’s assessment. The survey shows 92% of workers have difficulty finding child care; 55% have considered leaving their job because of child care.
“There is a need for approximately 1,800 child care spots supported by this survey,” Swallow said. “So we know there’s a need.”
The Salvation Army has agreed to buy the Taylor Rental building at the corner of East and Howard streets. Once the purchase is complete, the Army will own the entire block bordered by East Ohio, South McKenzie, Howard Street, and East Street.
The child care center will be built on the southeast corner of the block.
“There is intentionality about having character and not just a building,” Zach Shoro, director of the Army’s Learning Zone, said of the new center. “It’s designed for safety and community pride with a feeling of growth.
“This U-shaped building allows us to create a line of sight for people in the building who need to have sight of the kids. But it also provides security,” Shoro added, noting that windows will look onto the playground area.
“We believe we’ve designed a very cost-efficient, safe place for child care,” Swallow said, adding that it is in the right part of town to facilitate and help needs in the neighborhood.
The Salvation Army’s community assessment identified other needs in addition to child care:
•Healthy food options
•Social services that aid the community
•Community services such as a place for youth to hang out
•Safe space
“The courts said there’s a need for a safe place for parents to have supervised visitation with their kids and also for parents to transfer kids for visitation without parent interaction,” Swallow said.
After the new building is complete, plans are to renovate the Taylor Rental building to include laundry space for the new center, storage, and space for housing vehicles. Renovations also include living space for an additional Salvation Army officer.
The current Army building will also undergo renovation. Changes include a new entryway, a 450-square-foot choice food pantry, and visitation and drop-off space.
The northeast corner of the block will become parking. The natural downhill slope of the land is conducive to open-air seating for talks, plays, and other activities.
“We’re not building it for ourselves. We are building it for the community,” Swallow said. “We are trying to help the neighborhood improve itself.”
The organization just launched the silent phase of a capital campaign to fund the new building, which is projected to cost $6 million.
“We feel like we have done our homework, and we feel confident enough that with community support, [the capital campaign] will be short and quick,” Swallow said. “Our desire is to break ground next spring. The quicker it gets built, the quicker we can provide services.”
Officials in the Salvation Army’s Cleveland and New York offices have cleared the project. Swallow said that according to Salvation Army rules, 75% of the cost must be committed or in the bank before breaking ground.
The construction estimate is 12 to 18 months. If the project is under roof and work can continue during the winter, the projected timeline is closer to 12 months.
Board President John Booth said the board is solidly behind the project, with many board members already pledging donations.
“The Salvation Army believes in this project enough that they are self-funding it, meaning there will be no finance charges,” Swallow said. “We’ll start soliciting in the fall: It will be private. The public phase will be as we break ground.”
The Knox County commissioners showed their support by contributing $500,000 in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) money.
“Having this information helps us in the area of ARPA because you are certainly meeting the needs of the community,” Commissioner Bill Pursel told the Salvation Army officials.
“We are very supportive of what you’re doing in the community,” Commissioner Thom Collier agreed. “We are excited that The Salvation Army is stepping up and addressing those needs in the community.”
“We are seeking way to utilize our after-school space in the morning, perhaps for a morning kindergarten or a Head Start or other organization’s program,” Army Capt. Christine Moretz said. “That will provide space for 10 to 20 more children.
“We are currently a licensed child care provider and anticipate that to remain true for the new build. We have qualified and experienced staff for the child care,” she added.
Shoro of the Learning Zone said the additional child care offerings will necessitate quite a few additional staff members. He said the agency is open to public-funded child care and that he feels comfortable the agency can provide affordable child care.
