JWCC to renovate facility to assist those with childcare needs

 QUINCY — John Wood Community College is investing in a renovation to help with the area’s need for more childcare.

At Wednesday’s Board of Trustees meeting, the board approved the low bid from John Petty & Sons Construction to renovate a portion of the Quincy campus to be leased to Parent and Child Together of West Central Illinois (PACT) Head Start to operate a childcare center at the College’s Quincy campus.

JWCC will renovate space for PACT HeadStart in the southeast portion of its Learning Center and the space will be leased to PACT, who will operate the center to deliver childcare operations and educational services to 16 qualifying families with children ages zero to three years old, including JWCC students with children who meet requirements.

“We are the community’s partner and are pleased to be a small part of the childcare solution as our mission allows,” JWCC President Bryan Renfro said. “Many of our adult students face childcare challenges and that one barrier alone may prevent them from continuing or completing education to improve their quality of life.”

The center will also serve as an observation site for students in JWCC’s Early Childhood and Education programs. JWCC currently has 84 of its students enrolled in early childhood and education programs.

“The bonus is our early childhood and education students can walk right down the hall to observe the PACT professionals as part of their career training,” Renfro said. “We will continue to work with the community childcare task force to prepare more professionals to serve the children and parents of our district.”

Construction will begin this fall, with a timeline for PACT to tentatively begin operations in the Spring of 2025. In the meantime, children accepted into the program will receive home-based care until the renovation is complete. A lease agreement between PACT HeadStart and JWCC will be considered by Trustees at their November meeting.

In other business, the board:

• Abated a portion of the tax levy associated with General Obligation Refunding Bonds Series 2021C. The College has sufficient funds from operations for the payment of the principal and interest on these bonds used for a Chevron energy efficiency project.

• Approved an increase in insurance premium costs effective January 1, 2025.

• Approved an intent to levy an equity adjustment for the 2024 tax year as allowed by the Illinois Community College Act.