IC3’s Campaign: Growing Together is a $3.9 million capital campaign to expand and renovate IC3’s main childcare center.
Growing Together will offer more families access to high-quality, affordable, childcare. Children will enjoy active play and exercise in the new gym, engage in art, music, science and nature-based activities in the beautifully refreshed, resource-filled classrooms, and delight in nutritious meals prepared in the updated kitchen. Parents and teachers will have private spaces to meet, and added therapy rooms will provide an essential space for children with special needs.
IC3’s Campaign: Growing Together can build a better, brighter tomorrow for our children, but it will take the entire community to make our vision a reality. Let us tell you a bit more about why we’re so passionate and what we hope to accomplish.
Education cannot wait
The years from birth to age 5 are crucial years in children’s lives. Research shows that high-quality early education programs for young children can lead to greater school success, including reduced need for special education services, lower grade repetition, and higher rates of high school graduation and continuation to college. And we know that such programs impact children beyond academic skills training – they promote childrens’ cognitive, emotional and social development and foster growth. A positive early educational experience cultivates a lifelong interest in learning and lays the foundation for later success in life – meaning college degrees, better jobs, and better wages.
Our community cannot wait.
Too many families with young children must make a choice between spending a significant portion of their income on child care or leaving the workforce altogether. In 2016 alone, an estimated 2 million parents in the U.S. made career sacrifices due to problems with child care.
In our own community, there are only 1,430 spaces in qualified, licensed childcare centers for the estimated 6,000 children ages 6-10 in working households. This leaves 3,170 of our elementary-age children and their families struggling without access to adequate childcare. Many of these children enter kindergarten without a solid foundation of learning, leaving them at a disadvantage; lacking the formative skills essential for success in their adult life – a loss for them, their families, and our entire community.
What we have planned
IC3 will expand the current center on Warren Road, adding 6,890 square feet of new space and renovating 4,398 square feet of the interior. The proposed building would house our current programs, expand our footprint to include our after-school and summer camp programs, and meet the growing need in our community for infant, toddler, and preschool programs.
The addition of 4 new classroom
s, a gym, and expanded parking lot
The addition of four new classrooms will serve existing families and allow us to increase our capacity. With the new building, we would be able to serve 246 children and allow for new (much-requested) half-day programming for toddler and Pre-K children. Parking lot improvements will increase safety, thanks to a one way loop, and provide 20 additional parking spaces. A gym will be added for indoor gross motor play.
Two new mixed use therapy and private parent teacher conference rooms
IC3 currently serves 33 children in need of early intervention. Private therapy rooms will allow therapists and children to interact in a stress free environment. Additionally, these rooms when not in use for therapy sessions will double as private parent teacher conference spaces.
Renovated spaces including existing classrooms, kitchen and teachers lounge
A new kitchen will increase efficiency, new and updated bathrooms will allow for increased supervision and ease for children and teachers, and entrance enhancements will make for increased security.
Opportunities for collaboration
IC3 is in discussions with Ithaca City School District (ICSD) and Franziska Racker Center to provide new programming. Through a partnership with ICSD, IC3 would provide after-school care for Universal Pre-K children and, in partnership with Racker, additional service space would be available for children with disabilities in an integrated Pre-K room.
Our Vision
The expanded IC3 center will be an affordable and financially sound investment, giving us a permanent home for IC3’s after-school and summer camp programs. It will allow us to increase the number of children that we serve to better meet the childcare needs in the community.
Imagine the working families who will have access to affordable, high-quality, educational child care. Imagine all the children whose learning will be enhanced in a facility specifically designed for the best education and child care. At IC3 children feel safe, loved, engaged, and ready to take on the world.
With your help, they can.
