Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District Rep. Joe Neguse was in Idaho Springs after announcing $1.6 million in federal funding for the early childhood education center.
The learning center and daycare will accommodate Clear Creek County children 16 months and up, according to Clear Creek Schools Foundation Director Mitch Houston.
The early childhood learning center will be located in Building 103 in Idaho Springs, also the location of the new Carlson Elementary school, and Houston said he hopes to see it open sometime in 2025.
The federal funding will accelerate construction and go a long way to securing the realization of the center according to Houston.
“It’s a significant percentage of the total funds we need to construct the center,” he said.
Interim Superintendent Mike Gass, Idaho Springs Mayor Chuck Harmon and Clear Creek Board of Education member Kelly Flenniken walked with Neguse as he met teachers and talked with the children.
Neguse told the Courant securing the federal funding was the result of listening to Clear Creek residents.
“A big part of our work has always been leading locally, that means listening to the community… getting a sense of what they would like to see us accomplish,” he said.
Board of education member and foundation trustee Flenniken said partnerships consisting of federal, state and local support was key to the “significant milestone on our journey towards realizing shared goals.”
“Although our surroundings may not resemble a desert, it’s important to recognize that our community faces challenges akin to those found in childcare deserts,” Flenniken said. “More accessible childcare means more opportunities for parents and caregivers to engage in the workforce or to strike a balance between work and family life.”
The Schools Foundation says it is committed to sliding scale tuition with most recent estimates starting at approximately $600 a month for families earning under $60,000, according to Houston.