By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
With Kelsie Baxter onboard as the site director for the new childcare center in Great Bend, the Advancing Barton County Childcare committee is taking applications for 11 other positions. The Bright Beginnings childcare center, being constructed near the 10th Street and K-96 Highway intersection, is expected to be finished by next March.
Great Bend Economic Development Director Sara Arnberger said a wait list will be published sometime this month for parents wanting to send their children to the daycare.
"We're finishing up the final things with medical costs and 401K match," said Arnberger. "All of our providers will have full benefits. Once we finish that final cost structure, we'll be able to put out our wait list. It's coming soon. It will go out on our website abccinc.org."
The $1.6 million childcare center will be open for 59 children in the beginning. The committee took on fundraising for the 6,500-square-foot daycare, and received a $2.23 million grant to assist with the Great Bend facility and build a similar daycare in Hoisington.