Earlier this summer Stafford County Economic Development (EcoDevo) was awarded $25,000 for an implementation grant as part of the Office of Rural Prosperity Rural Champions grant program announced last year in collaboration with the Patterson Family Foundation for Macksville. The current Rural Champions is addressing childcare challenges in Macksville and this funding will support the implementation of the day care project.
During the first six months of their 1-year program, Rural Champions were busy connecting with their communities, gathering volunteers, engaging local organizations, and building connections with resource partners around their unique challenges. This work was used in developing the project implementation plan to utilize the $25,000 grant to assist in the next steps for their project.
These grants will fund part of a day care building in Macksville. A lot next to the Macksville City Library was donated to EcoDevo by the Tranbarger family for the purpose of building a new day care. EcoDevo has also secured $162,000 in Community Service Tax Credits which are 70% credits. When those are sold, the cash value is $231,000. Both the implementation grant funds and funds collected from the tax credits, will go to build a day care. The day care will be build by the fall of 2026.
As the Champion works through this final phase of implementation during this quarter, they will develop a comprehensive guidebook that documents their experiences, resources and strategies – and serve as a valuable resource for other communities to implement similar strategies. The Office of Rural Prosperity will continue to support this cohort of projects, ensuring that the Rural Champions have the resources and guidance needed.
To view the other awardees or to learn more about the Rural Champions and stay updated on their progress, visit the webpage here.