Child Care for the Stratton Community
I am sure many of you have asked or wondered about the future of the site of the old bowling alley/school gymnasium, affectionately known as the “Blue Whale.”
The site was acquired by Stratton Area Foundation in 2018 and following a period of demolition and clean up, the site was cleared with the intent that this site would be an ideal location for a child care facility.
Along that line, the foundation sought and obtained assistance from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs and the University of Colorado in assessing the needs for child care in the area.
These efforts resulted in the analysis of the needs in our area and the creation of a report which detailed the immediate need for 60 child care slots.
The resulting report of the analysis termed this area as a child care desert as the number of licensed child care providers or facilities is very limited. The Foundation has obtained instruction from the State of Colorado as to the requirements for a licensed child care facility and has commissioned the creation of preliminary plans for the facility that comply with the state requirements.
With these preliminary plans and costs in hand, funding is being sought for the construction. The project costs are projected to be significant with additional funding sources being contacted and assistance applied for.
The intent of the Stratton Area Foundation, in this endeavor, is to provide an approved and state of the art child care facility for an independent child care provider to utilize in meeting the child care needs of the community/area.
As many of you are well aware, child care is expensive so the foundation’s plan is to access state programs that provide supplemental tuition support for those who qualify financially in order to help in meeting the child care costs to the families in our greater community.
Dependable and affordable child care is an essential element in the success and growth of our community and in the quality of life for its residents.
The foundation is seeking an operator for the proposed facility who would be responsible for the operations and staffing.
The Stratton Area Foundation is a tax exempt 501(c)(3) community foundation created to provide assistance in meeting or attempting to meet identified needs within our community for the betterment of our community.
The foundation was created in the mid 1990s and has played an instrumental part in obtaining and maintaining health care in the community through the creation and construction of the Stratton Medical Clinic, and in providing or facilitating housing through the obtaining of and making available land for the Country Roads Apartments, and the building and operation of the Harvest Heights Housing project.
The foundation is currently in the process of recruiting potential staff for several positions including director, teachers, and aides, who will all need to be certified in their area of expertise.
If you have an interest in pursuing certification in any of those areas, contacting Morgan Community College would be a good first step. The Burlington office of Morgan Community College can be reached at 719 346 9300, or at w.w.w.Mor-ganCC.edu.
If you would like to be a part of making your community better, consider supporting the foundation with your time and/or a qualified tax-free donation.
Questions can be directed to Richard Mann, Amy Bredehoft, or Lynn Gottmann.
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