Crisis Child Care Center

It has been a year in the making. Finally, the Crisis Child Care Center has opened. The idea for the center came from a group of downtown leaders, all of the social service agencies and some churches. I called the group together and asked what is the greatest need downtown. The answer was loud and clear a Crisis Childcare Center. I had no idea how much work would be involved in starting such an endeavor. We started with a Mission Statement:

Our mission is to provide quality, short-term, emergency childcare service to families in need, enabling parents to go to job interviews, healthcare appointments, and other essential appointments.

Then came the policies, procedures, forms, forms, forms that had to be developed. A location was easily secured, Grace United Methodist is where the center is housed. Next came issues of funding as we felt there had to be a paid director. In July funding was finalized and then a job description was generated and distributed throughout the community. Applications were received, applicants interviewed and someone hired. We hired Lisa Sawyer who not only had experience in child care but also has started not for profit organizations. After the director was hired we had to secure volunteers and go to social service agencies and explain the program and the referral policies. We are still doing some of that. The center is open on Mon, Wed, and Thur from 8-12(noon).

The goal is that in the future the center will become its own entity, with its own board of directors etc. For now they are under the umbrella of KUO. Please Pray for this new outreach. Jeff