Kids Express update on remodeling at Prairie View
By Vanessa Rohwer
Director of Kids Express Melissa Michels spoke during Tuesday nights Sanborn Chamber Annual Meeting gaving an update on the fundraising efforts for updating and remodeling the unused area on the Prairie View Campus where the daycare will be located. The desire for daycare services in the Sanborn area has exceeded the available space at Kids Express. say they have outgrown the current location and they need to expand in order to meet demand for care for families. The wait list for daycare is long and the facilities are not able to keep up with the needs of the community. They need a bigger space and this space can allow them to serve children in a more developmentally appropriate way by grouping the children together closer in age. The memory care unit at Prairie View, known as Kuiper Villa, has not been in use for over three years. Now it appears a move that will benefit both entities is imminent.
“A commitment to serve the children and families of the Sanborn community is at the heart of Kids Express Daycare’s mission,” stated Melissa Michels, Director of Kids Express Daycare. “It is our endeavor to welcome and provide excellent care for all families in need.” Michels has been director since October 2023.
Michels explained their need to find more room. “We currently have 57 children enrolled, serving 35 families, and we are at maximum capacity allowed for our space,” she said. “The first opening on my waiting list for the infant room is currently May 2025 and the first opening on the waiting list for the toddler room is August 2025, which means our facility is not able to meet the needs of our community. I, as director, along with our board, work tirelessly to plan for how to best meet the current needs of our kids and the future needs of our community.” She continued “Anticipated new enrollment is 104-120 depending on the state”
The Director related how this chance to move came about, the benefits and what comes next. “Prairie View approached us 2 years ago to help them fill the vacant building they had which was the former Kuiper Villa Unit inside Prairie View Nursing Home which has been sitting empty for some time now,” said Michels. “After careful thought and planning, we believe this move will provide the best possible future for our kids and the community we serve. And research shows how well centers do when they combine care with senior care. We are really looking forward to having the children and the seniors interacting with each other, from music, art, reading, and just hanging out with one another. Both populations will benefit from this interaction.”
The Project Plans Michels said they they are working on obtaining the CDBG grant, which matches the funds we raise for the project but in order to apply, they have to have 50% of the funds secured. So if they raise $500,000 then the grant will matched $500,000. This grant covers all construction costs of the project. Blueprints and schematics have been drawn up with CMBA architects. Michels share a posters of the artist rendering during Tuesday nights Sanborn Chamber Annual Meeting. The next steps is to fully raise the money we need to match. We have raised just about $200,000 with various fundraisers and donations and we are looking at some other grants to help us get to that $500,000 mark. Michels said “This project will help us to better serve the community. I will have more space for more kids, which means people can go to work.”
By relocating to this new location Kids Express is hopeful that the overhead costs will lower, which will allow them to keep costs down for families, while offering a state of the art facility. By moving to this new location they will be able to increase the overall capacity. Provide more space for infant care, include a mobile infant room, a 2 year old classroom, a 3-4 year old classroom, a bigger space for school age children, and a larger outdoor space. Kids Express will also be able to offer coordinated programming between those living at Prairie View and the children, enriching the lives of all involved. With the move, the daycare will be able to double its capacity for kids and will create around 15-20 new jobs.
“This project is unique to the state of Iowa, there is only one other facility like this in the state, but they do not interact with each other like we plan on doing.” Michels spoke.
This facility has brought a lot of attention to Sanborn as it will be the first of its kind in the state where the kids and residents will be able to interact. This project has the attention of our state legislators and the Governor. Michels has met with the Governor’s policy advisories to discuss this project because it is solving two big issues rural Iowa is dealing with, lack of child care space and nursing home issues. Kids Express would like to be in the new building by the end of the year, but it is all dependent on how fast they can raise the funds to obtain this grant. Melissa expressed the importance of raising the funds needed for the facility as well as explained some of the fundraisers they currently have planned.
“We will still need the Sanborn community to step up and support us and the people we provide for. This project will ensure that a daycare stays in Sanborn for many years to come.” The Director spoke “This is not only an investment into the daycare, but an investment into the future of Sanborn families and our community. We look forward to this opportunity for growth and for all the exciting possibilities that are to come!”
Prairie View also sees the benefits of the move for the campus and its residents. “It is with great excitement that we are able to coordinate with Kids Express on moving their facility out to our campus!,” said Wendy Nelson, Prairie View Administrator. “Our campus will now become even more vibrant with the laughter and play of little ones and we cannot wait! It will also provide us with opportunity to have inter-generational bonding, a stronger community connection all while providing a bigger space for the children to learn and grow, while offering companionship and joy to our residents.”
Prairie View, too, had been looking to resolve an issue, in their case, what to do with that unused part of the campus. “We had discussed options for our memory care unit, which has been closed since February of 2021, and the daycare was at the top of our list,” noted Nelson. “We are lucky to have a daycare like Kids Express in our town and if Prairie View Campus can help it grow and maintain for many more years to come, we are honored to do so.”
Kids Express is hopeful for the remodel to begin by May or June, but that all depends on fundraising. “The faster we can reach our goal, the faster we can get our grant and then begin.” Michels concluded.