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Courtesy photo On March 3, 2020, children from the nearby child care center assist Chief Gary Batton, councilmembers and Choctaw Elders with the Choctaw Nation Child Care groundbreaking ceremony.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held Tuesday, March 3, celebrating an investment for an additional Child Care Center for the Choctaw Nation.
The new design is over 39,000-square-foot with 19 classrooms and allows an additional 272 children to be served. The current Choctaw Nation Child Care Center located in Durant enrolls 100 students and has a large waitlist of over 550 applicants.
“With an additional childcare center, we will be able to serve twice as many families. The Choctaw Nation and Durant area have grown significantly. Child care has been much needed for our members and employees,” said Chief Gary Batton.
The facility is a joint investment with the federal government through a tribal grant. The partnership is bringing a $20 million investment to the Choctaw Nation campus in Durant with a slated completion date of June 2021.
“You can’t make a better investment than our youth,” said Choctaw Nation councilmember James Dry. “It’s a blessing that our tribe, this council, and our Chief and Assistant Chief have that vision to make sure that our kids help sustain our tribe for future generations.”