Vigo Co. Officials discuss $1 million childcare proposal

By Will Price Apr 1, 2024 | 10:53 PM

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV)– Vigo County officials discussed a $1 million childcare proposal that would go on the east side of Terre Haute on Monday.

Chances and Services for Youth, or CASY, brought forth the request. Chief Operating Officer Brandon Halleck said they are hoping to secure funding to move into a facility located near U.S. 40 and Hunt Road sometime in 2025. He explained why he believes this location works well for families.

“We had been looking on the east side because it’s very accessible with the 641 bypass,” he said. “Going down south to the Industrial Park, going east to Brazil,up north, it’s just a great area we feel is very advantageous for families, for the community and businesses that are relocating to the area as well.”

The council voted to approve a $3 million childcare expansion at Indiana State in 2023, but council president Todd Thacker said he still thinks more can be done to address a shortage for local parents.

“We see that there is more demand than there is ability to fill that need,” he said. “I think with this one we’re actually getting, for less money that we’re putting out there,you have a potential to impact more lives.”

Halleck said if the organization can secure funding sometime this summer, the goal would be to open in fall of 2025. They could serve 192 children at first, and Halleck hopes to expand services as time goes on.

“We do plan to offer some summer camp programming as well, and that’ll be primarily for the families that have children out there who also have children who have aged out. Let’s say you have a third grader, and you also have a three-year-old, you can have one location,” he said.

The council discussed a number of other projects that would be funded by dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act Monday. They are listed below: