Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” — Warren Buffett
Stick Creek Kids Child Development Center is a sustainable, nonprofit 501(c)(3) licensed child care center that will provide leading-edge learning experiences for children birth to age 12. Your investment today carries forward to future generations by ensuring children thrive socially, emotionally and educationally. By tackling the region’s shortage of quality, reliable care we enable central Nebraska parents & employers to flourish.
Please become an active part of our success story by making a gift to the Stick Creek Kids Endowment Fund during Go Big Give!
Interested in helping the Stick Creek Kids Capital Campaign get to the finish line? Nebraska income tax credits are available with your gift of at least $1,000 direct to Wood River Vision 2020 Inc. Learn more by calling Sara Arnett at 308-380-7030.
Wood River Community Centennial Foundation was formed in 1984 by a group of civic-minded individuals investing the remaining funds from the Community Centennial Celebration.These individuals had a vision that by combining and sharing their resources their philanthropic efforts would have an increased impact in the community The Foundation is governed by a Board of Directors (all volunteers). The Foundation has awarded over 280 grants valued at $488,190.00. and 456 scholarships valued at $200,190.00 for Wood River Rural High seniors. The Foundation has helped facilitate positive growth for a town relative to its population but one that still has many needs as most small towns in Nebraska do.
Wood River has a critical shortage of child care providers, with more on the verge of retirement. Parents struggle to juggle schedules, drive out of their way to find care, or drop out of the workforce entirely in frustration due to the shortage. Families who desire to put down roots in Wood River cannot do so due to the lack of child care. With more housing planned in the community, the child care shortage must be resolved now. Quality childcare and early childhood education isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity for the entire region.
Stick Creek Kids Child Development Center (SCK) will be a brand-new non-profit child care center to meet the needs of our growing community. It will have the capacity to serve up to 80 children at a time (more will be served when factoring in part-time children/families). Wood River Vision 20/20 Inc. is conducting a capital campaign to raise nearly $2 million to renovate the former nursing home for the new non-profit child care center. The campaign is going well, with nearly $1.7 million in pledges and grants received already. Bidding for the building renovations is underway, with a hope that the center will open early 2021. Anyone interested in giving to the Capital Campaign is invited to contact Sara Arnett at 308-380-7030. Tax credits via the Nebraska CDAA program are available for eligible donations while supplies last.
Stick Creek Kids has also been building a $500,000 Endowment Fund for long-term financial sustainability. The earnings from the Endowment will be used to provide partial tuition scholarships to working families for whom full tuition is out of reach. The Endowment campaign stands at $460,000 today. During Go Big Give 2020, Stick Creek Kids is hoping to close the remaining $40,000 gap. Will you join us?
This center will offer high quality child care and early education services in Wood River and the surrounding areas for children ages six weeks to 12 years. A developmentally appropriate and child-centered curriculum will fill an existing void for education of children ages six weeks to four years. Stick Creek Kids will complement the existing preschool operated by the school district for four-year-olds. SCK will offer a three-year-old preschool program, as well as before/after school care and summer education and activities. Through grants and private support, the Vision 20/20 Childcare Task Force will oversee renovation of an existing building into a quality child care facility on a cost-conscious budget. Very careful and intentional financial planning has been carried out to ensure SCK will be financially self-sufficient through the years. Over 3,500 volunteer hours have been invested in this project to date.
We invite you to follow our progress on Facebook/Stick Creek Kids and on our website www.stickcreekkids.com. Thank you in advance for helping make the Stick Creek Kids dream become reality!
