Expansion of Quality & Affordable Early Learning

In Woodbury County, there has been a 40% decrease in childcare providers over the last five years. According to Iowa Child Care and Resource Referral, 80% of requests for childcare are for kids ages 0 to 5. Crittenton Center specializes in early learning for children ages 0 through 5. As one of the area’s only NAEYC accredited child development programs, the center offers high quality, affordable early learning care for families in all socio-economic levels. The project goal is to expand our current program from the north and west sides of Sioux City to the city’s east side by partnering with Sanford Center, another local nonprofit, serving school age children and Morningside Bible Church, who currently has existing classroom spaces in their facility available for this expansion project. Our goal is open the new facility by January 4, 2021.
The project will expand childcare access to families in the most rapidly growing yet underserved area of Siouxland. It will also increase the accessibility of quality early learning and before and after school age care, adding 36 additional childcare slots for ages 2-5 years in two classrooms to start, with additional slots for school age children through our partnership with Sanford Center. In addition, the facility will allow Crittenton Center to offer extended childcare hours to families with essential workers including those in healthcare, food service, transportation and education. Crittenton Center has had conversations with local employers about launching the area’s first corporate early learning program, partnering with local businesses to offer childcare as a benefit to employees once the new facility is opened. Once it is opened, the new facility will serve 50+ families through expanded childcare services, serve 20+ families with essential workers and partner with 3+ businesses to offer corporate childcare as a benefit to employees.