Dartmouth Times

City Manager Shaun Mulholland announces partnerships to design and operate a Childcare Facility in Lebanon to help address the significant shortage of available childcare openings in the Upper Valley. This facility will provide early childcare educational services and infant care services.

The City has contracted with Placework Studio to provide architectural services for the conceptual phase of the development of a Childcare Facility. The City will partner with the Boys & Girls Club of Central New Hampshire to operate the facility upon completion. The City is also seeking a firm to provide construction management services to round out the project team. 

Since August 2021, the City has been working with a variety of partners to identify solutions to the childcare crisis in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont. Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is estimated that the Upper Valley was short approximately 2,000 childcare openings. In the aftermath of the pandemic, the shortage is estimated to be even higher as some childcare providers have gone out of business and others are operating at reduced capacity due to staffing shortages.

As a result, the City of Lebanon is undertaking a plan to construct a Childcare Facility on a city-owned parcel of land that would serve up to 200 children, or nearly 10% of the identified shortfall. The City will seek grants and donations to fund the capital costs. 

The City has several primary goals for the project: 

1. At least 51% of the children served will come from families of low to moderate income. 
2. The facility operator will be expected to pay competitive wages and benefits.
3. The facility should try to provide childcare services during non-traditional hours and on weekends.
4. The facility may offer on-the-job training to train childcare workers for its own operations, as well as for other providers in the region.

Construction is anticipated to commence in 2024 and be completed in 2025.

For more information or questions, please contact the City Manager's Office at manager@lebanonnh.gov or 603-448-4220.

Original source can be found here.