(Malvern, Iowa) – Officials with East Mills Child Care Solutions, say an event to celebrate the commencement of construction for the Lakin Foundation Child Development Center of East Mills, will be held on Saturday, February 1st, 2025, beginning at 3-p.m. The celebration event takes place at 905 2nd Avenue in Malvern,  followed by a brief program and reception at the Charles E. and Florence M. Lakin Community Center, located at 61321 315th Street, in Malvern.

The Lakin Foundation Child Development Center of East Mills is the culmination of years of visioning, hard work, and support from a dedicated board and community. The revitalized building which formerly functioned as a nursing home will be able to support up to 150 children and will offer before and after school care as well as 3 year old preschool in addition to regular childcare services. The building is adjacent to Wabash Landing, a new 61 house subdivision, and along a new Safe Routes to School project.

Merit Construction is the general contractor and Alley Poyner Macchietto is the project architect. Major funding sources for the project include Charles E. Lakin Foundation, Malvern Bank, Western Iowa Networks, Mills County, City of Malvern, Iowa West Foundation, Community Foundation for Western Iowa, Mills County Community Foundation, Jay & Jessica Burdic, Roger & Lavina Johnson, Kohll’s Pharmacy and Montgomery County Memorial Hospital. The project was also awarded a Community Development Block Grant which is being administered by SWIPCO as well as IEDA Grayfield Tax Credits. The project is 94% fundraised towards a $4.9M goal, and is still seeking financial support to complete the capital campaign. A grand opening is slated for November 2025.

About East Mills Child Care Solutions

East Mills Child Care Solutions was formed in 2022 by parents and community leaders actively working to solve the inadequate childcare options in the East Mills Community School District. With the help of local and regional partners, EMCCS will be able to accomplish their mission of creating reliable childcare, allowing for the future growth of East Mills communities.