While work continues on getting the Vernon ISD/Child Care Partners Daycare Center ready to open later this spring, the facility received its first major donation Thursday afternoon. The $10,000 donation was from Atmos Energy and was presented to Child Care Partners Executive Director Keri Goins and Vernon ISD Assistant Principal Blaise Boswell by Atmos representative Pam Hughes-Pak.
“We appreciate Atmos Energy so much,” Goins said. “It is fantastic for them to help us get our child care center started here in Vernon. These donations help us keep the cost of child care low and affordable for families.”
Atmos Energy has a long-standing partnership with Child Care Partners and Hughes-Pak said supporting the new Vernon facility was really a no-brainer.
“One of our main pillars of community support is education and that starts at birth,” Hughes-Pak stated. “Child Care Partners stress education and their facilities (in Wichita Falls) are amazing. Atmos Energy has an office in Vernon and we have a good relationship with the City of Vernon. We wanted to help support this effort to help Vernon residents with their child care needs.”
For Vernon ISD, it was an easy decision to partner with Child Care Partners on a new child care facility.
“We are extremely excited to be a part of this and we appreciate and thank Atmos Energy for their support,” Boswell said. “There is a tremendous need in the community for child care and this facility is going to help fill that need. It is going to help our teachers and others in the community with small children.”
When it opens, the facility will serve families with children from six weeks to four years of age and will provide care year-round. The facility will open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 5:30 p.m., Monday thru Friday.
Although the opening of the facility is still several weeks away, Goins said all of the age groups are full and there is a waitlist. To join the waitlist, please go to https://form.jotform.com/240168404533148 .
With most of the work on the building completed, Goins said they were waiting on an inspection from the state so the facility could receive its license. She added there were still staff positions to fill.
To that end, a hiring fair is being held at the Central facility Friday and Saturday. The event will be held from noon until 6 p.m., Friday, and on Saturday from 9 a.m. to noon, and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. There will be on-the-spot interviews. Those attending the hiring fair will need to use the Wichita Street entrance. For more information, call 940-766-4332 or email vernon@childcarewf.org