Public Safety Childcare Center Opening Fall 2026

Boone County Government is excited to share the public safety childcare center's official name: The Boone County Early Learning Center. The childcare center is being built on the Boone County Public Safety Campus, adjacent to the Boone County Sheriff's Office Regional Training Center, which opened at the beginning of this year.

Despite a slight weather delay, construction on the childcare center continues to make strong progress and is expected to wrap up later this summer. Following construction, the project will move into final setup, licensing, and inspections, with plans to open this fall.

The Boone County Early Learning Center is being built with safety as a top priority. It will have secured access at all times, security cameras inside and out, a reinforced room in case of tornado emergencies, and other features designed to keep children safe and give parents peace of mind. The main level will include four classrooms, a large kitchen, a staff room, and two separate outdoor playgrounds. The lower level will offer four additional classrooms to accommodate future growth, a large indoor play area, and a walkout basement leading to another outdoor play space.

Our program will do more than simply watch over children - it will be an early learning center that inspires creativity, discovery, and a love of learning. Knowing that children thrive when they feel secure in their daily environment, our classrooms will be set up to encourage learning through exploration, play, and curiosity - all things that children naturally do! Our teachers will use the curriculum to guide hands-on, active learning, while maintaining consistent routines that will help each child feel safe and supported. Take a closer look at the engaging spaces and welcoming environments we're creating by exploring our information packet. Inside, you'll find photos, classroom layouts, curriculum highlights, program plans, and other details about our Early Learning Center.

Many first responders struggle to find childcare that works with their unusual and often unpredictable schedules. To help support these families, we will offer extended-hour childcare for Boone County public safety employees, which includes staff from Boone County Joint Communications, Boone County Sheriff's Office and Jail. The center will initially offer care seven days a week from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. for children ages 6 weeks through 5 years, with the potential to expand hours and services in the future.

Beyond supporting families, the Boone County Early Learning Center is also intended to strengthen recruitment and retention across the public safety campus. By offering below-market childcare rates, Boone County aims to reduce a key barrier for employees balancing demanding schedules and family needs. This investment supports a more stable workforce while helping reduce turnover and long-term training costs for the county.

As construction continues to move forward, we'll also begin the process of hiring caring, qualified early childhood educators and childcare staff for both full-time and part-time roles. Hiring is expected to begin in the coming months, be sure to watch our website for job postings and updates.

Check back for regular updates on this project.