FAQs

How much money do you need to raise?

For this first phase, we already have pledges and gifts of approximately $1,500,000. We are raising the final $700,000 now. $400,000 of the money raised is a challenge grant from the Mabee Foundation; in order to keep that money we need to raise an additional $692,559 before January 12th, 2022.

Can’t we improve the current building/demolish the current building and rebuild on that site?

The current buildings (a converted house, an outbuilding, a room at Messiah Lutheran Church, and seasonal use of the cafeteria at Soderstrom Elementary School) are not well suited to the kind of childcare that many young families are looking for. The rooms are not large enough to efficiently run our program, meaning that our staff costs (number of staff, not salaries) are higher than they would have to be. Further, having infants at Messiah Lutheran Church means that some families are dropping off and picking up little ones who cannot be left in a car alone at 2 different sites.

Our site on North Third Street is totally non-conforming with City zoning code. Most of the building is in what should be our “setback” from the street. If we were to build a new building on the site, the maximum square footage that would be permitted under zoning and to respect the anticipated new flood mapping is 3700 square feet. KDHE (Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which regulates childcare) minimum floor area is 35 square feet of open activity space per child. To this must be added food prep space, bathroom space, admin space, hallways. A rule of thumb is to double the required square footage to accommodate those needs. At 70 square feet of gross square footage per kid, we could shoehorn a program for 50 kids into 3700 square feet, but it would be extremely tight and could not be expanded any further. One of the things we’ve heard from leaders in childcare is that having significantly more space than the minimum required by KDHE helps in managing behavior.

In some ways, the bigger problem is that to tear down the current facilities and build something new, we would need to relocate our program for approximately 18 months during construction. Having looked for alternate sites, we do not believe there is an appropriate site to relocate to during construction.

Couldn’t an existing building be retrofitted?

There is not a building available at this point. If a building were to become available, it would likely require significant investment to improve the energy efficiency in order to minimize operating costs. Further, the requirements for KDHE include minimum room size, making many Sunday School rooms, for example, ineligible. Children under the age of 30 months are not allowed to be in a room that requires them to go up or down steps. Being wheelchair accessible so that as many children as possible can participate in the programming is a priority. Modern childcare facilities include child-sized toilets in the rooms (this helps with potty-training for toddlers, and prevents accidents or constipation due to waiting in line—both of which are a real problem for preschoolers at Sprout House today), and installing those would likely be a considerable cost. KDHE also has specific requirements regarding outdoor space that must be dedicated and fenced, adding another obstacle to using an existing building if it does not have ample outdoor space.

I don’t have kids—why should I care?

• So that your kids come back to Lindsborg to raise your grandchildren

• So that there are more customers for your business

• So that there are young families in your church

• So that we continue to recruit doctors, nurses, and other medical staff at the hospital and at Bethany Home

• So that Bethany College can more easily recruit the professors they need

• So that there is more economic vitality in Lindsborg, resulting in more activities, concerts, while also increasing the tax base to improve City services

Couldn’t we bus the kids to Marquette?

Marquette has a great childcare center in the former elementary school building. Most parents will not put their toddler on a bus everyday.  

Why build something so extravagant?

The building we are planning is similar in scale, function, and price to a new school building. The building will be similar to other centers such as Salina Childcare, Hesston Community Childcare, Kansas State Center for Child Development (Manhattan), Hilltop Child Development Center (Lawrence), and Marquette Learning Center.

In response to feedback from the community and because of the situation created by Covid-19, we have decided to revise our project to a $2 million, 10,000 square foot building with four classrooms, a gross motor space, a kitchen, and support spaces. The board anticipates ongoing future fundraising to complete other pieces of the project.

When we talked about a 5 million dollar project, that was 6-8 classrooms, all weather gross-motor space, full kitchen, fully furnished, completed parking lots, wheelchair accessible and attractive playgrounds.

Why is the site so far from town?

A significant effort was made during the first 10 months of 2019 to find locations that might be closer to the core of the town. Realistically, at least an acre would be required for this project even if one assumes that parking is not necessary, parks substitute for playgrounds, etc. There is not an acre of land available in town. The site on Wells Fargo (the City’s Tree Station) would permit the program to grow now and into the future, provide high-quality play experiences in a controlled environment, and permits easy access for families working outside of Lindsborg. Additionally, it is on the school bus route, which will facilitate pickup/drop off for the before and after school program without requiring childcare staffing for the transportation.

Why are we talking about a new building for so many kids?

In our new plan, we are proposing a building for 67 children: 9 infants, 10 toddlers, 20 preschoolers, and 28 school aged.

Sprout House currently has space for 8 infants, 12 toddlers, 10 preschoolers. When we think about planning for growth and trying to help meet the need for 75 additional spots in Lindsborg identified by Childcare Aware (a statewide advocacy group that tracks childcare availability), we are looking at 4 rooms that meet KDHE ratios.

Under KDHE, we can care for:

• 9 infants in one room.

• 10 toddlers who are “one and walking” and under 30 months in one room.

• 20 preschoolers 30 months to 60 months in one room.

• 28 for afterschool/summer in one room.

  67 total  

It is worth noting that it is possible to put 11 preschoolers in a room built for 20 preschoolers, but not to put 11 preschoolers in a room built for 10 preschoolers. Staffing for 11 preschoolers under KDHE regulations is the same as for 20 preschoolers—so there are important efficiencies to be gained by building to maximize ratio when appropriate.   According to state regulations, we can put up to 159 kids in a building with an assistant director who is also a classroom teacher or substitute. Above 160, the assistant director would have to only have administrative responsibilities. There is an advantage to having up to 159 kids in our program—that’s more kids to cover the cost of administration. It seems that having a program that is just above 160 would be disadvantageous; if you get much bigger again you can divide the cost of administration between more kids.  

Will a new building make childcare more expensive?

No. In our current facilities, we are actually not able to maximize ratios, which is costly. It would also be useful in terms of controlling costs to divide the cost of a director among more children. The biggest cost in childcare is staff. A new building will also help to control heating, cooling, and maintenance costs.

At the same time, we are recruiting highly qualified staff and are changing our budget to better compensate them. This will lead to higher quality childcare—that will also be more expensive. That increase in cost is not, however, related to the facility.

What will the building look like?

At this stage in our fundraising, the design is still in a conceptual phase. We envision a bright, inviting building that reflects the Swedish heritage of Lindsborg.

What is the vision for the building?
We are working on a building that is:

• durable (50 year solution)

• low maintenance

• highly energy efficient

• bright, cheery, homey

• expandable  

And that:

• communicates that Lindsborg cares for kids

• reflects the dignity of the work being done

• bolsters our community image: Little Sweden  

What’s the City’s involvement? Will my taxes go up?

The Assistant City Administrator has been tasked with working on childcare as an economic development project. More and more rural communities are recognizing that without high-quality childcare, it is difficult to recruit the workforce needed to sustain their community and help it to prosper. City Council did provide the Tree Station on a $1/99 year lease. Other expenses, either a contribution to the building project or an ongoing operation subsidy have not been considered and are not currently envisioned.

Your taxes will not go up to make this project happen.  

How can I help?

• Consider giving to help improve childcare for children, their families, and our community. There is a fund set up at McPherson County Community Foundation:

  o   Future Lindsborg Child Development Center Building Fund (Building)

• Have a question that wasn’t answered here? Email Lucas at lucas.neece@gmail.com

• Stay informed by letting Lucas know that you want to stay in the loop: lucas.neece@gmail.com

• Talk to your neighbors about how important this project is for the future of Lindsborg

• Invite Lucas to present to a group you are involved with