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North Valley childcare center fully funded at $1.38 million; will add 65 licensed slots
Summary
Regional development staff said the turnkey childcare center project has secured $1,380,000 in funding, will create four classrooms with 65 licensed slots, preserve 30 existing slots and add 35 new slots, and is expected to employ 23–25 staff when fully scaled.
Walsh County heard an update that a North Valley childcare center project has reached full funding and is moving toward final contract and ownership transfer steps.
Stacy, a regional development staffer who presented the project update, told commissioners the project has secured $1,380,000 in combined sources and has preserved 30 existing childcare slots while adding 35 new licensed slots for a total licensed capacity of 65. She said the provider expects to employ 23 to 25 staff when the center is fully scaled and that the facility includes four classrooms and a multipurpose gym/classroom used for school‑age care during the summer.
Stacy described the project as a public–private–nonprofit partnership led by the local development authority (noted in materials as GDA) with substantial state support. She said roughly 44% of the secured funding came from the State of North Dakota through workforce and childcare grants, with the remainder from local public partners and private donors. Stacy told commissioners the center’s financing includes no debt and no federal funds. She said the project benefited from late‑cycle state grant availability tied to fire‑suppression system expenses and that the grant timing allowed the project to reach a funding close.
Current operations and demand: Stacy said the provider operated with about 40–45 children during the school year and expanded to the low 50s over the summer when school‑age programming was offered; she said a waiting list remains for infant care.
Next steps: staff will continue contract closeout work and move toward transferring building ownership to the nonprofit operator. Stacy said remaining near‑term tasks include exterior signage and some final construction items; the project team had aimed to transfer ownership by Sept. 1 but said some work remains.
The commission did not take a formal vote on the funding update; commissioners praised the partnership model and the mix of funding sources.
