Wright Patterson Air Force Base is breaking ground for a new child development complex. It’ll also feature a wing for school age children.
The new facility will be in Area A, accommodating children age six weeks to 12-years-old. Each will have a separate play area. The building will be similar in design to another child care center on base that's been under construction for more than a year.
Necoleia Friend is the child development director. She also is the current child youth program project manager.
She says this new facility is a $38 million investment in military families.
"It is a struggle to balance personal life and mission life. And so child care is a mission critical unit here on the installation," Friend said. "So this will allow us to speed up that process and hopefully shrink that wait list time down."
According to Friend, the child care wait list ranges between 16-18 months.
This new building will increase WPAFB's child care capacity to 304 children.
While at the same time, replace the base’s oldest child care facility, Wright Care Child Development Center, on Spinning Road in Riverside.
Friend said the new building also means more teachers will be hired.
The new facility will be near the Wright-Patt commissary and across Spruce Way. It's expected to open in the fall of 2027.
