Construction underway on OSU-Cascades’ on-campus child care center, expected to open in August

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- OSU-Cascades' new on-campus child care center will serve children ages infant through preschool and is expected to open in August, school officials said Wednesday.

The Little Kits Early Care and Education Center will serve children ages infant through preschool and will be administered by the OSU Family Resource Center, which operates early care and education centers on OSU’s Corvallis campus and at the Little Beavs Early Learning Center on the Bend campus.

The 7,200-square-foot modular building is on the southwest corner of the campus, near the corner of Chandler Avenue and Mt. Washington Drive. Classrooms are designed for early care and education of infants, toddlers and preschool-aged children. The center will also include an outdoor play area and parking.

Following the opening of Little Kits, Little Beavs, a program launched by OSU-Cascades at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic to accommodate students and faculty who lacked child care, will close. 

Families whose children attend Little Beavs will be guaranteed enrollment at Little Kits. Staff who currently work at Little Beavs will also transfer to the new center. Recruiting efforts for new staff will begin this spring.

The Family Resource Center will collaborate with Little Kits staff to help build a pipeline of early childhood education professionals, with programs including practicum and internship experiences for OSU-Cascades and Central Oregon Community College students interested in early childhood education careers. 

While initial capacity is expected to be limited, due to the regional and national shortage of qualified early care and educational professionals, as well as budget constraints, the center is anticipated to eventually serve up to 72 children.

Construction funding for the project was provided through the American Rescue Plan Act by Deschutes County and the state. Additional funding was sponsored by U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley through a community development grant from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.