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BRECKENRIDGE — A new “green” child-care facility is ready to open in Breckenridge later this month, easing some of the crunch on the community’s working parents.
The town of Breckenridge built the Timberline Learning Center — estimated at more than $3.5 million — to address an ever-growing need for child care in Summit
County.
“Families are moving away because there’s no facility that can handle them, because they’re all full,” town spokeswoman Kim DiLallo said.
The day-care center, located on Valley Brook Street next to the Breckenridge Police Department, will have a capacity of 68 children when it opens on Aug. 25.
It is run by a non-profit organization that will lease the facility from the town.
Council member Eric Mamula said the center is the next step in town efforts toward increasing affordable housing and child care to accommodate the growing community.
“It’ll be a great facility,” he said. “As you’re adding housing, you’ve got to add day care.”
The town considered results of a needs assessment last year that used demographic data, surveys of families and information from existing providers before kicking off the Timberline center project.
Affordable, quality child care was found to be at the forefront of community concerns.
The facility includes eco-friendly technology such as 64 roof-mounted solar panels to offset about 25 percent of the building’s electricity consumption.
Construction materials include pine-beetle-kill timber for columns and metal paneling made from recycled content, according to town officials.
Other designs include water-efficient landscaping, special insulation and Energy Star-rated appliances.
“It’s pretty fabulous, pretty groovy, pretty contemporary — we’re pretty excited,” said operator Leslie Davis.
Classrooms are divided among six rooms, including early and late infants, toddlers and preschoolers. She said teachers will use the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching the children
“The idea is that children and teachers are co-collaborators,” she said. “Rather than children being taught, they’re guided.”
She said the Timberline center won’t be replacing Kinderhut, which operated on Peak 9 for 17 years.
“Kinderhut was a resort destination,” Davis said. “We are not providing drop-off care.”
The town is taking several other steps to improve local child-care services in addition to the day-care facility.
It budgeted about $200,000 this year for scholarships to help families living and working in the Upper Blue who earn 150 percent of the area median income and spend more than 15 percent of that income on child care.
The town also helped the three other child-care centers in Breckenridge through debt relief and forgiveness totaling $620,000 to allow the nonprofits to focus on maintenance and improvements.
Officials also are supplementing day-care salaries to ensure quality staff and reduce turnover.
The center will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday through Friday. A few slots remain available for children aged six weeks to 5 years.
For more information visit www.timberlinelearningcenter.com
Robert Allen can be contacted at (970) 668-4628 or rallen@summitdaily.com.
The town of Breckenridge built the Timberline Learning Center — estimated at more than $3.5 million — to address an ever-growing need for child care in Summit
County.
“Families are moving away because there’s no facility that can handle them, because they’re all full,” town spokeswoman Kim DiLallo said.
The day-care center, located on Valley Brook Street next to the Breckenridge Police Department, will have a capacity of 68 children when it opens on Aug. 25.
It is run by a non-profit organization that will lease the facility from the town.
Council member Eric Mamula said the center is the next step in town efforts toward increasing affordable housing and child care to accommodate the growing community.
“It’ll be a great facility,” he said. “As you’re adding housing, you’ve got to add day care.”
The town considered results of a needs assessment last year that used demographic data, surveys of families and information from existing providers before kicking off the Timberline center project.
Affordable, quality child care was found to be at the forefront of community concerns.
The facility includes eco-friendly technology such as 64 roof-mounted solar panels to offset about 25 percent of the building’s electricity consumption.
Construction materials include pine-beetle-kill timber for columns and metal paneling made from recycled content, according to town officials.
Other designs include water-efficient landscaping, special insulation and Energy Star-rated appliances.
“It’s pretty fabulous, pretty groovy, pretty contemporary — we’re pretty excited,” said operator Leslie Davis.
Classrooms are divided among six rooms, including early and late infants, toddlers and preschoolers. She said teachers will use the Reggio Emilia approach to teaching the children
“The idea is that children and teachers are co-collaborators,” she said. “Rather than children being taught, they’re guided.”
She said the Timberline center won’t be replacing Kinderhut, which operated on Peak 9 for 17 years.
“Kinderhut was a resort destination,” Davis said. “We are not providing drop-off care.”
The town is taking several other steps to improve local child-care services in addition to the day-care facility.
It budgeted about $200,000 this year for scholarships to help families living and working in the Upper Blue who earn 150 percent of the area median income and spend more than 15 percent of that income on child care.
The town also helped the three other child-care centers in Breckenridge through debt relief and forgiveness totaling $620,000 to allow the nonprofits to focus on maintenance and improvements.
Officials also are supplementing day-care salaries to ensure quality staff and reduce turnover.
The center will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday through Friday. A few slots remain available for children aged six weeks to 5 years.
For more information visit www.timberlinelearningcenter.com
Robert Allen can be contacted at (970) 668-4628 or rallen@summitdaily.com.
