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Gracedale daycare inching toward opening; $800,000 in staffing funds set aside
Summary
County staff said the in-house daycare at Gracedale Nursing Home has received township occupancy clearance and is awaiting state DHS licensing; $800,000 was moved to the human-resources budget for operations and staffing in 2025 and remaining construction costs were paid from earlier ARPA allocations.
County staff told the finance committee on July 9 that the Gracedale Nursing Home daycare is closer to opening after the owner received confirmation that state child-care licensing inspections are scheduled for Aug. 15. Staff said the facility needs two site visits before final licensing and that the daycare has already secured a certificate of occupancy from the township.
Committee members asked how ARPA and county funds allocated for the daycare have been spent. County staff said about $2 million of ARPA funds had been allocated for daycare renovations, and that most construction costs were expended in 2023 and 2024. The county has moved $800,000 into the human-resources budget to cover operating costs and staffing; staff said that amount is intended to cover roughly two years of operating expenses assuming no subsidy revenue is collected.
County staff said to date the county has paid only minimal invoices directly to the daycare provider for setup (less than $2,000), and that construction and furnishing costs were largely complete. The county said outdoor play equipment, cribs, tables and classroom furnishings have been installed and that only minor purchases (first-aid kits, trash cans) remain.
Staff said the daycare will prioritize county employees and their families but that if space remains, other county employees (for example, 911 center personnel) may be eligible; the county moved management of the daycare budget to HR because the benefit is intended for employees county-wide, not only Gracedale staff.
Committee members asked about capacity and staffing. County staff described the facility as five classrooms plus a lunchroom and estimated total capacity between roughly 25 and 50 children depending on age-group ratios (for example, infant ratios are four infants per caregiver). Staff said admissions will be first-come, first-served and that HR will survey staff again to establish a final head count before opening.
No formal vote was taken. Committee members requested a line-item summary of construction and equipment costs and asked the administration to include daycare funding projections and any anticipated subsidy revenue in the 2026 budget presentation.
