By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
During a presentation at Tuesday’s Barton Community College Board of Trustees meeting, Child Development Center (CDC) Director Larissa Graham told the board the daycare facility on campus operates with a five-year average annual loss of $120,745. That deficit each year is down from the last time Graham reported to the board in January 2021 when the five-year average was $139,000.
The Child Development Center can provide daycare service for up to 60 children,
and for Trustees Chairman Mike Johnson that service to the community is worth
the annual loss.
"As a board, we understand the issues that go with the service this provides to the community, students and faculty," said Johnson. "We know it's not a moneymaker by any means, but we all agree it's a necessary service for the community, but more importantly for the faculty and staff that is here."
Barton’s CDC is currently operating with 47 children. Of those 47 children, 17
come from parents that are staff or faculty at Barton and 30 from other
community members.
Great Bend Economic Development has helped facilitate a $1.6 million group daycare in Great Bend that will serve up to 59 children. Graham serves on the Advancing Barton County Childcare Board, in charge of organizing the new daycare initiative. Graham did not expect the new daycare, yet to break ground, to have a huge impact on the college’s program.
RELATED STORY: 'Coming Soon' - New daycare in Great Bend making progress
"When the school district put in the Little Panthers Preschool, we thought we were going to lose so many kids...we lost two," said Graham. "They were to parents who worked at the school system. It hurt us, but we have a wait list. I think we'll lose some but we'll be able to recoup."
Barton’s CDC includes five fulltime employees and 21 student workers.
Listen below to the entire Child Development Center discussion from Tuesday's BCC Board of Trustees meeting.