Bid opening this week for Early Childhood Learning Center

Colman-Egan isnt the only school expansion in Moody County aimed at improving educational opportunities for local families.
In Flandreau, construction on the west end of the public school campus is well underway as the Boys and Girls Club addition takes shape, and prep work for a new Early Childhood Learning Center begins.
The new center, a collaborative project between the Boys and Girls Club of Moody County, the City of Flandreau, Moody County, and the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, will be built next to the Wm. Janklow Community Center, where the tennis courts once stood.
In recent years, the area has served as a gravel parking lot for campus and fairground events.
Designed to address the countys critical shortage of child care for children ages 0-5, the center aims to meet the growing demand for quality, affordable child care in Flandreau. With local providers often operating at capacity and offering limited hours, families have reported difficulty finding care that fits their work schedules.
Community assessments and discussions with local families and business leaders highlight how the shortage forces many parents to choose between finding jobs that accommodate available child care or not working at all.
The new facility seeks to alleviate that pressure by offering quality care and support for the countys youngest residents. It will also provide training opportunities for students interested in early childhood education.
The project was initially funded through a grant from the Governors Office of Economic Development, but additional public and private funding is still needed to complete the center and future programming. Organizers remain confident the project will be fully funded. In fact, the bid openings for construction are scheduled for Tuesday. Once a contractor is selected, a timeline will be set, but a groundbreaking is expected later this fall, and officials hope the center will be open to families next year.
Were really hoping this impacts the community as a whole and provides positive outcomes years down the road, said Charlie Wilson, executive administrative assistant for the Boys and Girls Club of Moody County.
Itll help meet the immediate need for families, but were hoping it sets kids up for success as they enter school. We also want to change the culture of child care in our area and create great jobs while providing high-quality services.
Meanwhile, work on the expansion of the current Boys and Girls Club facility is expected to be completed by mid-May, with a new gymnasium and weight room available to the community by early summer.