Life Center: An Exciting Opportunity For Clay County
Grow Clay County is thrilled to announce that our community has been awarded a $3.64 million dollar grant for the construction of a brand new Multi-Generational Life Center! This incredible space is set to become the heart of our community, catering to the diverse needs of residents young and old.
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Highlights
$3.6M
Grant Awarded to Grow Clay County to construct a Life Center serving citizens from birth to 100+.
$1 M
Additional grants and cash and in-kind donations awarded, as well as the land donated.
2.5
Years working to solve the shortage in Clay County with provider incentives, summits and research
32
New child care slots, created with new facility dependent on child ratios.
8
Acres donated privately to build facility, conveniently near the Clay Center Middle School.
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Child Care Centers currently in Clay County, with 11-20 children per one child care opening.
2024 Fundraising Campaign
We’re thrilled to announce our fundraising campaign to enhance the Life Center! We have an opportunity to make an even greater impact by expanding our facility. But we need your help! We hope to add:
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Additional gym space
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A dedicated walking track
We are offering various levels of donation so everyone can help make this vital facility a reality. We are also offering naming rights. From the gym to the walking track, prominently display your family or organization and showcase your commitment to our community.
Your contribution will help build a stronger, more vibrant community and create a facility that will benefit residents for years to come. Not sure what you'd like to do? One of our committee members would love to speak with you, complete the form using the button below if you wish to receive a phone call.
Building Location & Hours of Operation
The location of the Multi-Generational Life Center is nestled near the Middle School, on the far northwest corner of the property, to avoid any impact on school traffic. This is the perfect place for several reasons:
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The Land was donated (8 Acres), by the Bill and Grace Oetinger Family at an appraised value of $239,694, leaving more funds for construction.
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Central and accessible hub for the community
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Within walking distance from the middle and high school
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Convenient drop-off point for parents with child care and school-aged children
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Accessible from Highway 24 - easy entry for those traveling by car
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Working with Clay County Public Transit to provide a dedicated route to the Life Center
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Part of the comprehensive connective pedestrian trail Clay Center is working to develop
Various tenants may have alternate hours of operation based on their needs and requirements:
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The Child Care Center will tentatively be open Monday-Friday, 7:30 am to 5:30 pm.
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The Youth Lounge will tentatively be open Monday-Friday, 3:30 pm to 8:30 pm and Saturday 8:30 am to 5:30 pm.
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The Senior Center will tentatively be open Monday-Friday, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.
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Mental health services will tentatively be available Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.
Extended hours may be considered for community events, rental opportunities, workforce training, and other health services as needs arise.
Community Center
A Large Multi-Purpose Gathering Space will feature:
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Versatile, flexible seating for events, programs, and gatherings
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A gym for activities
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Training rooms with state-of-the-art technology
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Health exam rooms designed for privacy and comfort
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A commercial kitchen for meal preparation for the community, including Meals on Wheels
Child Care Center
The new Community Center will feature a state-of-the-art Child Care Center, providing a safe and nurturing environment for our little ones to learn and grow. This has long been a need in our community, as highlighted in several focus groups, surveys and feasibility studies across all demographics.
Youth Lounge
A dedicated Youth Lounge will offer a dynamic and modern space with games and activities for our teenagers to connect, engage, and explore various activities, fostering a sense of community and belonging.
Teens will also have access to a safe space where they can access additional mental health services.
Senior Center
A dedicated Senior Center is planned, providing a welcoming hub for socializing, recreation, and support services.
The Senior Center will exude comfort with cozy seating areas, reading nooks, and spaces for leisure activities. Features could include a piano and outdoor greenhouse for gardening activities. The commercial kitchen will also be used for the Meals on Wheels program for Seniors.
You've Got Questions, We've Got Answers!
We're here to help answer any questions you might have. All questions we have received have been categorized by type and are listed below. Quickly jump to any FAQ topic using the quick links below.
General Building FAQs
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Who will build the facility?
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McCowan and Gordon has been selected as the Construction Manager at Risk for the Life Center project.
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Who will the owner of the building be?
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The City of Clay Center.
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Who will run/staff the building?
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The City of Clay Center’s Parks & Rec Superintendent will be responsible for staffing the facility, overseeing common area maintenance, and developing diverse programming to cater to citizens of all ages. The City Clerk will be responsible for maintaining accurate records related to the Life Center's operations, ensuring transparency and compliance with regulatory requirements.
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Who pays for the maintenance, utilities, taxes, etc.?
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The City of Clay Center will cover a portion of the maintenance and utilities, with the remaining costs supported by lease payments from Pawnee, Little Learners, Senior Taskforce, and childcare providers.
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Why the rush?
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We are required to occupy the building by September of 2026. We have worked hard to secure non-local tax dollars to build an extraordinary facility that we don't have. If we are required to return the funds, it could make us ineligible for funding in the future.
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What is being done about the traffic at the middle school?
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The facility will be located near the middle school, designs have taken great caution to avoid or minimize interruption to middle school traffic.
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Will the school eventually take it over if it is located next to the middle school?
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No, the City of Clay Center will own and operate the building.
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FAQ: Funding & Taxes
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Where does this grant funding come from?
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The Children's Cabinet and Trust fund applied for a grant from the US Treasury to provide more community facilities to solve issues exacerbated by COVID. These are federal and state tax dollars with a supplement from the Patterson Family Foundation. It is great to see our federal tax dollars coming back to our community.
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What is required of this Children's Cabinet Accelerator grant?
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The required components of the grant are to provide educational and work-enabling services, health or mental health services, child care, and access to free internet for a minimum of five years.
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How was the land purchased?
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8 Acres of land was donated by the Bill and Grace Oetinger Family, with an appraised value of $239,694.
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Will the $3.64 million cover the cost of construction?
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Yes, this amount will cover the cost of the original grant components with the additional $1,500,000 in matching dollars secured and in-kind donations provided.
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Is there a chance any burden falls on taxpayers?
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No additional tax revenue will be used to BUILD the facility.
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What happens if the grant is not enough to cover construction?
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Grow Clay County worked hard to provide an accurate estimate. The collaboration and community support received assures this project will be completed. View the comprehensive sustainability and business plan here.
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How will all non-essential equipment and furnishings be paid for?
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There will still be fundraising to do. The grant only covers basic furnishings, so we will continue to fundraise for sports equipment, a pool table, couches and other “nice to have” furnishings.
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Where does the additional $1,500,000+ in funding support come from?
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Here’s a breakdown of each fund source and where it comes from.
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Donors | Purpose | Status | Form | Amount |
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BCBS Pathways | Commercial Kitchen | Pending | Cash | $50,000 |
Child Care Aware of Kansas | Child Care Playground Fencing/Architectural Fees | Secured | Cash | $55,000 |
CCAKS via PFF | Child Care Furniture, Equipment, Supplies | Secured | Cash | $37,750 |
Patterson Family Foundation (USD 379) | Child Care Construction, Equipment and Operations | Secured | Cash | $175,000 |
Office of Rural Prosperity | Child Care Center Construction | Secured | Cash | $30,000 |
Clay County Senior Task Force | Construction/Commercial Kitchen Equipment | Secured | Cash | $40,000 |
Donor | Facility Construction Costs | Secured | Cash | $43,000 |
Clay Center Community Foundation | Child Care Center | Secured | Cash | $5,000 |
Patterson Family Foundation/Grow CC | Workforce Development Programming Grant | Secured | Cash | $15,000 |
Twin Valley | Installation of Broadband and service for 5 Years | Confirmed | In-Kind | $10,000 |
Grow Clay County | Grant Administration and Reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation | Secured | In-Kind | $25,000 |
City of Clay Center | Permitting/Fees/ First Year Salaries/Supplies | Confirmed | Cash/In-Kind | $65,000 |
Donor | Construction | Confirmed | Cash | $100,000 |
Donor | Construction | Confirmed | Cash | $50,000 |
Bill & Grace Oetinger Family | Land | Secured | In-Kind | $239,694 |
Community | Equipment and Furnishings Donated | Pending | In-Kind | $50,000 |
Community Donations | Construction | Secured | Cash | $150,000 |
Community Donations | Construction | Secured | Cash | $325,000 |
BCBS Pathways | Rec Equipment | Pending | Cash | $25,000 |
BCBS Pathways | Sidewalks | Pending | Cash | $50,000 |
Cott Family Farms | Dirt Work | Secured | In-Kind | $120,000 |
Goldstien Foundation | Construction | Secured | Cash | $500,000 |
CSP Tax Credits - Mental Health | Construction | Confirmed | Cash | $200,000 |
FAQ: Child Care Center
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Can we build the rest of the facility and forego the child care center?
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No. Child care is a required component of the grant, without a child care center, there is no community center.
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Will the child care center only serve low-income families?
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No. This funding stream does not require the facility to serve families based on income level.
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What is the estimated capacity of children?
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28-32 new child care slots would be created with the new facility, dependent on child age ratios.
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Is the Child Care Center available to anyone or limited to a certain group of people?
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One room will be be ran by Headstart and income qualifications will apply. However the other two rooms will be ran by individual providers.
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Won’t the child care facility put other daycare providers out of business?
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No. A majority of the providers are full, and many have waiting lists. Several providers are likely to retire in the next five years. Several aging providers have retired or are phasing out, while others significantly reduced the number of children they are willing to take.
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Would the Child Care Center operate year-round full-time, or follow school hours and breaks?
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Childcare will be available year round
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Will there be drop-in care available?
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Programming could be considered in the future for the possibility of drop-in care.
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Is a privately-run daycare an option?
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Yes, all rooms will be privately ran.
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What surveys, engagements and other data points exist that highlight the need for childcare in our community?
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Child Care Aware of Kansas gathers and disseminates data, research, and best practices from experts in the field so that parents, providers, and decision-makers are equipped with ideas and solutions for high-quality early care and education. They keep a report of child care needs in our county, which can be viewed here - just click on Clay County to view the real-time report.
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In 2021, Grow Clay County held its strategic planning session with the International Economic Development Council. Several community members voiced their needs for the community and how Grow Clay County could help with those needs. Child care was identified as a barrier to growth and economic vitality. Grow Clay County also issued various surveys to the community, child care providers, and businesses which highlighted the struggle families have with finding child care and the issues companies face with employees who lack adequate child care. Read the full report here.
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After the Clay County Child Care Center closed, Grow Clay County secured $22,500 to provide assistance to both existing providers and new providers. We issued 11 grants total, nine to existing providers and two to new providers.
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In 2022, USD 379 hosted a community planning meeting where child care was identified as a great need in our community, and that the school district should work with other community partners to find solutions. Many stakeholders raised "access to child care services" as a challenge faced by both workers and their employers. Due to the closure of child care facilities in the community, additional burdens have been placed on workers with young children, while employers face challenges with talent attraction and retention due to this strain on the workforce.
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In the spring of 2023, Grow Clay County conducted surveys that were sent to the general public, child care providers and business owners to further assess the need for child care in our county. Those findings are as follows:
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There are an estimated 11-20 children needing child care for every one child care opening.
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58% of parents struggle with lack of child care due to their provider being closed.
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67% of parents are in need of drop-in or part-time care.
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23% of employers lost or could not retain employees due to lack of child care.
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50% of employers reported employee absences due to lack of child care.
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57% of employers expressed interest in purchasing child care slots to offer to employees as a benefit or attraction incentive.
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In February 2024, we hosted a Child Care Summit on February 24th for those looking to start a daycare business and existing providers who need continuing education credits with free food, child care and a chance to win $250 for their daycare. We hosted KDHE, representatives from the food program, Child Care Aware, and K-State. Eight existing providers signed up as well as two potential new providers .
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In 2025, Grow Clay County held a community strategic planning session, and the child care shortage was still a huge concern for the citizens.
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FAQ: Youth Lounge
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How will this facility benefit all students?
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This will provide a safe space for those who might not be involved in extracurricular activities the opportunity to engage in other interests. All of the students and families would have access to the gym. This will also provide opportunities for non-traditional recreational offerings.
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The school could also use the facility for practices, meetings, community gatherings, etc.
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Teenagers will have access to a safe space where they can access additional mental health services, including but not limited to anxiety, difficulty coping with stress, unhealthy social media use, and difficulty managing emotions.
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