Humboldt makes decisions on childcare center

Humboldt is moving forward on getting a childcare center in the community, but it will not be at the old fire station. After discussions last week by the Humboldt Board of Education, the plan is to add a center to the north end of Mease Elementary School, connected with a breezeway. According to Humboldt County Economic Development Director Alissa O'Connor, who is president of Humboldt County Daycare Inc., a not-for-profit corporation that will be operating the childcare center, there were many citizen concerns about having a childcare center in the old fire station. While the old fire station next to Humboldt City Hall could fill the requirement of providing space for an estimated 60-70 children, the building would require some extensive remodeling and there were some built-in issues with the location (being on a busy city street, being in close proximity to the jail and law enforcement center, not having any green space or playground area on site); to name a few of the challenges. “We took the public’s comments, questions and concerns and met as a board. We decided it would be in the best interests of the community to add a structure to Mease Elementary School. The reason we decided on Mease was because it works into the school’s facility plan,” O’Connor said. “We were also concerned about providing a long-term solution and not something that will work today but will have to be readdressed a few years down the road,” O’Connor commented. To read all the details on the childcare center, pick up a copy of this week's Humboldt Independent. Better yet, subscribe by clicking on the link at the top of the page and have the paper delivered to you every week either electronically or in print form.