Axne presents grant for Stanton child care expansion

Friday, May 13, 2022

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(Stanton) -- Federal funding is expediting plans for a new Stanton child care facility.

During her swing through southwest Iowa Wednesday afternoon, Iowa Congresswoman Cindy Axne presented a $1 million check to the Stanton Child Resource Center. The project is one of nine community projects Axne submitted for funding through the House Appropriations Committee in April, 2021, and later approved by the full House. Axne tells KMA News she sought money for a new facility after touring the existing facility two years ago.

"They're working out of an old steakhouse that really needs expansion and repair," said Axne. "When I heard what they were facing, and that they were working hard as a community to funding together to expand, I wanted to do whatever I could to help them."

Staci Kutzli is vice president of the center's board of directors. Kutzli says the proposed 10,500 square-foot facility planned for Stanton's Technology Park will be double the size of the current location.

"We'll be able to double our classroom sizes," she said. "We'll go from four classrooms to eight classrooms. We'll have more space, more storage. Our infant classrooms are going to be our designated storm shelter area for children. So, during inclement weather, we'll actually have a good strong, safe, secure place for all the kids to go. Obviously, we aren't moving the littlest ones. The bigger ones that are more capable of moving will be the ones that will shuffle through."

Kutzli says children on a waiting list for the center over the past five-plus years ranged from 25 to more than 70. She says the federal dollars are big boost to the proposed center's construction.

"One of the things about grants is that you always need matching funds," she said. "We had done a really good job of raising matching funds. We were up just shy of $700,000 on our own raising funds. But now, with this million dollars, this puts us well over the halfway mark for the center, and, you know, opened us up to several other grants, and foundations and things. And, you known, it kind of just gave the community a boost of, 'hey, this project's really going to happen. We're going to see this come to fruition."

Groundbreaking is planned for this fall. Kutzli hopes work on the facility takes place over the winter, with an opening slated for next spring. Other projects receiving federal funds included those in Creston, Council Bluffs, Des Moines, Indianola, Johnston, Mount Ayr and West Des Moines.

Category: Community News, Rep. Cindy Axne