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Child Saving Institute expanding off Saddle Creek and Dodge

Demand has Omaha facility busting at the seams.

Child Saving Institute expanding off Saddle Creek and Dodge

Demand has Omaha facility busting at the seams.

AND THEN 60. BACK TO YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANKS, BILL. PLANS ARE IN MOTION TO EXPAND THE CHILD SAVING INSTITUTE IN OMAHA. THE AGENCY ANNOUNCED A $46 MILLION PROJECT IN DECEMBER AND NEXT WEEK, CITY OFFICIALS WILL GIVE THE GREEN LIGHT TO START CONSTRUCTION. KETV NEWSWATCH 7 HANS ALEX MCLOON IS TALKING WITH THE DIRECTOR ABOUT HOW THE EXPANSION WILL HELP BETTER SERVE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN OMAHA. ALEX JOINS SLIDE. YEAH, THE EXPANSION WILL BRING THIS BUILDING INTO THIS EMPTY LOT OFF. SADDLE CREEK ROAD. DODGE STREETS AND IT ADDRESSES OMAHA’S DEMAND FOR SERVICES AND BEYOND. IT IS EXCITING TO LOOK OUT AND KIND OF SEE WHERE THE FUTURE IS GOING TO TAKE SHAPE FROM HIS OFFICE. PRESIDENT AND CEO JAMES SYME CAN ALSO FEEL THE DEMAND FOR FOSTER CARE. MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. WE ANTICIPATE AFTER THE PROJECT IS COMPLETE, THAT WILL SERVE OVER 800 KIDS AND FAMILIES AND OUR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES PROGRAM ALONE. THE CHILD SAVING INSTITUTE IS TAKING ANOTHER STEP IN ITS EVOLUTION EVER SINCE IT WAS AN ORPHANAGE IN THE 1890. INCREASING THE SIZE OF ITS FACULTY AND SPACE AND PUSHING ITS VISIBILITY ALONG DODGE STREET. THE $46 MILLION CAMPAIGN FOR HOPE EFFORT NEARLY DOUBLES THIS BUILDING. ADDING AN ONSITE MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC AND EMERGENCY CLINIC FOR 16 YOUTH BEDS AND FOUR MORE CLASSROOMS FOR KIDS. THE DIRECTOR OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES SAYS DEMAND HAS THIS FACILITY BURSTING AT THE SEAMS. WE’VE ACTUALLY BUILT ADDITIONAL OFFICES, BUT WE ARE JUST MAXED OUT. A LITTLE MORE THAN 2800 PEOPLE SOUGHT HELP HERE LAST YEAR, EXCEEDING PRE-PANDEMIC LEVELS FROM THE PAST DECADE, UNDERSCORING JUST HOW MUCH HELP OMAHA IS LOOKING FOR. AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT WE’RE TRYING TO DO WITH THE EXPANSION, IS EXPAND OUR MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, EXPAND OUR YOUTH SHELTER, EXPAND OUR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SERVICES SO WE CAN SERVE MORE PEOPLE IN A BETTER WAY. THEY’VE PASSED THREE QUARTERS OF THE WAY TOWARD THEIR FUNDRAISE RAISING GOAL AS CITY OFFICIALS PLAN TO FINALIZE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS. YOU CAN HELP THEM REACH THEIR FINAL GOAL IN THIS STORY AT KETV DOT
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Child Saving Institute expanding off Saddle Creek and Dodge

Demand has Omaha facility busting at the seams.

From his office, president and CEO Jaymes Sime can feel the demand for foster care, mental health services, and early childhood education.The Child Saving Institute is taking another step in its evolution with a $46 million expansion. City officials are expected to sign off on construction documents, which plan to increase the CSI faculty and space and push its visibility along Dodge Street."It is exciting to look out and kind of see where the future is going to take shape," Sime said. Click here to donate at the Child Saving Institute website.The Campaign for Hope effort nearly doubles its building size to the east. It adds an on-site mental health clinic, an emergency clinic with 16 youth beds, and four more classrooms for kids.The director of mental health services says demand has this facility busting at the seams."We've actually built additional offices, but we are just maxed out," Lora Sladovnik said.CSI reports 2,865 people were served there last year, which exceeds pre-pandemic levels from the past decade."And that's exactly what we're trying to do with this expansion, is expand our mental health services, expand our youth shelter, expand our early childhood education services so we can serve more people in a better way," Sime said. Get the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7

From his office, president and CEO Jaymes Sime can feel the demand for foster care, mental health services, and early childhood education.

The Child Saving Institute is taking another step in its evolution with a $46 million expansion. City officials are expected to sign off on construction documents, which plan to increase the CSI faculty and space and push its visibility along Dodge Street.

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"It is exciting to look out and kind of see where the future is going to take shape," Sime said.

Click here to donate at the Child Saving Institute website.

The Campaign for Hope effort nearly doubles its building size to the east. It adds an on-site mental health clinic, an emergency clinic with 16 youth beds, and four more classrooms for kids.

The director of mental health services says demand has this facility busting at the seams.

"We've actually built additional offices, but we are just maxed out," Lora Sladovnik said.

CSI reports 2,865 people were served there last year, which exceeds pre-pandemic levels from the past decade.

"And that's exactly what we're trying to do with this expansion, is expand our mental health services, expand our youth shelter, expand our early childhood education services so we can serve more people in a better way," Sime said.

Get the latest headlines from KETV NewsWatch 7