FORT EUSTIS, Va. –
Fort Eustis' Child, Youth and School Services broke ground for a new child development in a ceremony April 16 behind Eustis' Youth Services Center on Pershing Avenue.
The new building will serve as an annex to the Child Development Center in Bldg. 926 on Madison Avenue. Currently, the CDC provides services for about 300 children, ages 6 weeks through 5 years of age, but the new facility will increase the center's services by providing space for an additional 232 children.
At a cost of $9.6 million, the new 26,450-square foot building will encompass 4.55 acres including three adjacent outdoor play areas and parking.
"We (the CYSS) keep growing and that's wonderful because that means we're going to be getting support to families," said Arleta Briner, acting Child, Youth and School Services coordinator.
The new facility will not only provide more slots for child care to the Fort Eustis community, but more employment opportunities as well as more administrative and support staff will be needed to accommodate the center's expansion.
"We're looking at doubling the staff we have right now. That's great for the community in two ways because once we open, we'll have to get a staff ready to go and then we'll be able to take a large number of people off the waiting list," Briner said.
The new facility will include activity areas for infants, toddlers and kindergarten age children, classrooms, a kitchen and laundry, and accommodations for administrative and support staff.
"I think it's going to be great because we found a location that was centrally located that'll make it easier for parents with kids in the various programs," said Briner.
Construction of the annex was originally scheduled to begin in 2011, but the passing of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in February 2009 expedited the groundbreaking, moving the project forward by nearly two years.
The project is part of the Grow the Army initiative. Announced in 2007, Grow the Army is a plan through which the Army is transforming itself by increasing its force size, realigning units in accordance with Base Realignment and Closure actions, and moving units stateside from Europe. In addition, the initiative calls for 743 construction projects at a cost of more than $66 million to be completed by 2013.