(Stanton) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development State Director in Iowa Theresa Greenfield announced the completion of a new facility to help meet the childcare needs of families in Stanton’s rural southwest Iowa community. The Lakin Foundation Child Development Center of Stanton is expected to help promote economic development and enable residents of this rural area of Montgomery County to seek more employment opportunities.
“Access to childcare is a critical need for many rural Iowa families,” said Director Greenfield. “Every day, USDA is championing rural America, listening to communities’ needs, fostering job growth through financing for small businesses, and generating outcomes that make rural Iowa a great place to live, work, and raise children.”
The childcare center held a ribbon-cutting and grand opening event to celebrate the project’s completion.
The grant funding was made through the USDA Rural Development Community Facilities Direct Loan and Grant program and was congressionally directed spending.
In November of 2022, USDA Rural Development invested $1 million in a grant to help the Stanton Child Resource Center Inc., a non-profit organization in Stanton, Iowa, build a new facility. The building was designed and constructed to be over 11,000 square feet. It houses a sick room, a storm shelter, age-appropriate equipment, a covered drop-off and pick-up area, and larger classrooms than the old building. The new facility has a capacity for over 130 children and outdoor playgrounds. The center will help meet the needs of families and will promote economic development in rural Montgomery County.
USDA Rural Development has 11 offices across the state to serve the 1.3 million Iowans living in rural communities and areas. The state office is in Des Moines, and area offices are in Albia, Atlantic, Humboldt, Indianola, Iowa Falls, Le Mars, Mount Pleasant, Storm Lake, Tipton, and Waverly.
To learn more about investment resources for rural areas in Iowa, call (515) 284-4663 or visit www.rd.usda.gov/ia. To subscribe to USDA Rural Development updates, visit our GovDelivery subscriber page.
Under the Biden-Harris Administration, Rural Development provides loans and grants to help expand economic opportunities, create jobs, and improve the quality of life for millions of Americans in rural areas. This assistance supports infrastructure improvements, business development, housing, community facilities such as schools, public safety, health care, and high-speed internet access in rural, Tribal, and high-poverty areas.
