Governor Kelly Breaks Ground on Advancing Barton County Childcare Center in Great Bend
GREAT BEND – Governor Laura Kelly today broke ground on the Advancing Barton County Childcare Center (ABCC) in Great Bend alongside local legislators, Barton County Commissioners, and Great Bend City Council members. The groundbreaking ceremony celebrated reaching the funding needed for the construction of the facility. The funding goal was achieved after Governor Kelly announced nearly $43.6 million to advance the rapid development of additional child care slots statewide.
“I’m proud to be a part of this groundbreaking ceremony as it represents many communities across the state that have now received the much-needed support to open their doors or expand child care facilities,” Governor Kelly said. “Investing in our children’s future starts with safe, high-quality child care.”
Governor Kelly and the Kansas Children’s Cabinet announced last month that Advancing Barton County Childcare Center was one of 52 statewide organizations to receive a grant through the Child Care Capacity Accelerator grant program for the purpose of creating new, sustainable, high-quality, licensed child care slots. The grant awarded to ABCC totaled more than $2.2 million.
“Child care has been a major barrier to workforce retention and growth in rural communities,” said Sara Arnberger, Great Bend Development Director, Advancing Barton County Childcare. “This funding has been a lead catalyst to moving this project forward, and it is crucial to our goals to make these new centers come to life and better support our businesses, families, and, of course, the youngest members of our community.”
The photos below from today’s groundbreaking event are available for media use:
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