The county is set to open a child care center next week.
The Cumberland County Employee Childcare Center at 223 Hull Road will provide childcare for the children of county employees beginning Monday, said Faith Phillips, county library director and organizer of the center.
She said last week that the initiative was developed in response to a survey of county staff, which highlighted childcare as a key factor in employee recruitment, retention and support. She said that efforts have been underway since 2022 to convert the Dorothy Spainhour Child Development Center, once a facility for children with disabilities, into a modern childcare center with a capacity for 150 children.
"The benefit to our facility is that it is serving just children in the care of Cumberland County government employees," Phillips said. "We're really hoping to eliminate the waitlists so that folks aren't waiting to have care, and they know that they have access to high-quality care."
Daycare costs
Phillips said the center will operate Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with extended hours to come, and will accept a variety of payment methods, including Department of Social Services subsidy vouchers, Military Child Care Aware benefits and private pay.
She said monthly rates for the center vary by age group. For children ages six weeks to 12 months, the cost is $800 per month. The rate for children ages 12 to 24 months is $700, while those ages 24 to 36 months and 3 to 4 years old are $600 per month. For children ages 4 to 5 years old, the cost is $500 per month.
Phillips said the number of teachers to students, otherwise known as a class ratio, will follow the standards set for child care centers in North Carolina, as determined by the North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education .
She said that in addition to providing full-service day care, the center will offer before- and after-school care for $500 per month. She said transportation services for the program will eventually be available.
Things to know
Phillips said that the center has contracted a provider to oversee the operations and staffing of the facility. Alice Danze, who runs two childcare centers in Wake County and owns Track Out Kidz LLC, will manage the facility.
"I am very excited to serve the community in this way. When I started in 2016 it was a dream to support working families with childcare through partnerships," Danze said in an email. "(This) improves staff retention and productivity when they know their children are in a great caring and educational environment."
Phillips said that when the county put out the request for proposals, they were very clear that this facility needed to have no less than a three-star rating but must strive for a five-star rating.
"Per the state requirements, your lead teachers have different levels of education that are required for each star rating," Phillips said.
Phillips said the idea for the center was presented to the county's American Rescue Plan committee and the Board of Commissioners, which approved $1.5 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan. The funds were used to outfit the facility with new flooring, carpeting, painting, air conditioning, playgrounds, irrigation, sod and furniture, as well as to upgrade the kitchen and bathrooms.
She said it was important to include a lactation room at the center, giving nursing mothers the option to visit during their lunch breaks and nurse their children. She said that a multi-purpose room was also incorporated to accommodate therapists, ensuring children can receive necessary services on-site.
"What I love about this project and what I think this project demonstrates is Cumberland County's commitment to its staff and commitment to its families," Phillips said.
Reporter Lizmary Evans covers growth and development for The Fayetteville Observer. You can reach her at LEvans@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: New Cumberland County child care center set to open, offering child care to county staff
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