Great Falls resident urges city to let Toby’s House use Carter Park for expanded nursery

Katherine Woznoski, a Great Falls resident and mother, told the City Commission on Aug. 19 that Toby’s House saved her life during a postpartum crisis and asked the city to permit the nonprofit to use a roughly 10,000–11,000‑square‑foot portion of Carter Park for a new nursery with parking, accessible entry and outdoor play space.

Woznoski described how the existing Toby’s House nursery can accommodate only 12 children and said families are being turned away when the program reaches capacity. “Imagine the mom who finally gathers the courage to call for help only to hear ‘we’re at capacity,’ ” she said. She told commissioners donors are prepared to fund the project and that relocated space in Carter Park would improve visibility and drop‑off safety compared with the current site on a high‑traffic one‑way street.

The request was made during the meeting’s public‑comment period; commissioners did not take immediate action or vote on any permit or lease. No staff presentation or formal agenda item on the Carter Park proposal appeared on the evening’s agenda.

Next steps: The request was entered into the public record and may be referred to staff or appear on a future agenda for formal review of site availability, permitting, and any lease or park‑use agreement.