Mesa County Public Health in collaboration with Mesa County and several community partners is pleased to announce the selection of a provider for a new Early Childhood Education (ECE) Center to be constructed on previously undeveloped land located at 3260 D 1/2 Road in Clifton.
Once complete, the facility has the capacity for up to 220 children. Focusing on high quality care and smaller staff ratios, the center will have a daily capacity of 174 children in 15 classrooms.
Extended Hours Owner, Sheryl Fisher, has been selected to provide Early Childhood Education at the Clifton Center. Sheryl’s proven track record in the child care field, and her local connection to our community makes her a perfect candidate for the position. Fisher’s background includes the ownership and operation of the Extended Hours Program for more than two decades as well as 25 years of child care experience.
“This child care center provides a great opportunity to serve the Clifton community with more than 170 high-quality child care spots. Clifton is a child care desert and this will assist families in finding convenient and great care for their children.” Heather Nara, Early Childhood Services Program Manager at Mesa County Public Health said.
The campus will not only house an Early Education Center; it will also serve as a training center for providers and other industries, have meeting space as part of the Community Halls project, and be a branch location for the Mesa County Public Library District. Other services, including a health clinic, are also being explored. “Child care slots are an issue in our community, but this facility goes a step further allowing for career development and generating a pipeline of qualified child care providers,” Stephanie Bivins, Director of the Partnership for Children and Families, said. “We’re not only building a foundation for our kids, but planning for future community needs as well.”
In January, Mesa County Commissioners approved a $1,465,000 contract with RDG Planning & Design, Inc. for design and engineering services to construct the Clifton Community Campus.
Groundbreaking for the campus is expected in the Fall of 2022.