Funding received, location set for new Radford child care facility
To meet the growing need that many Radford University faculty and staff have for a quality child care center, Radford Child Development Inc., a non-profit organization created by the RU Child Development Task Force, is proceeding with plans to construct a child care facility near campus.
According to a press release from the organization, Radford Child Development recently received the necessary start-up capital to move forward with the facility, which will be constructed on Tyler Avenue.
Radford Child Development raised preliminary start-up costs and received an interest-free loan from the Radford University Foundation for the balance and the needed pre-open capital and expenses. Local real estate developer Price-Williams provided the land for the facility.
The new child care facility will be accredited the National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), guaranteeing the facility will adhere to the highest standards of child care and early childhood education. The Radford facility will be only the second NAEYC accredited facility in Southwest Virginia. The other facility is in Blacksburg.
"I am so proud of the members of the Radford University Child Development Center Task Force for their efforts toward bringing high-quality child care to Radford," said RU President Penelope Kyle in Radford Child Development’s statement. "These volunteers have been tireless in addressing a pressing need for many of our faculty, staff and students who have young children and need convenient, safe and accredited child care. The success of this initiative will most certainly add to the quality of life for those of us who work at or attend Radford University and for members of our larger community."
Radford Child Development has hired Children’s Creative Learning Center (CCLC) to manage the new center. CCLC provides child care programming for numerous universities, companies and government agencies.
The RU Child Development Task Force conducted a survey of RU faculty and staff in November 2012 and found that 93 percent of the respondents said it was important to have a quality child care facility near campus.
More than 40 percent of RU faculty and 27 percent of RU staff are likely to retire in the next five years and new RU hires tend to be young families with children, Radford Child Development said.
The Radford Child Development Center will also benefit RU students by serving as an internship location those studying early childhood education students. In addition, the center will offer opportunities for music therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and other programs.
Radford Child Development Center is partnering with The Community Foundation of the New River Valley as its fiscal agent. All donations made to the Radford Child Development Inc., benefit the creation of the center.
Agida Manizade, president of the Radford Child Development Board, expressed gratitude to everyone who has worked to move the project forward. "It is an honor and privilege to work with this group of outstanding individuals," said Manizade, an associate math professor at RU. "I also want to thank President Kyle and Novel Martin for their on-going support of the project."
For more information about Radford Child Development Inc., and the creation of a Radford Child Development Center, contact Manizade at (434) 227-7196.