Boone County Public Safety Childcare Center expected to open in 2027
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Boone County leaders say a childcare center under construction at the Regional Training Center is expected to help recruit and retain first responders by providing childcare for employees who work nontraditional hours.
The Regional Training Center has been operating since January, but construction continues on the childcare center. Boone County Sheriff Dwayne Carey said he hopes construction will be completed by the end of the year, with the facility opening in January.
It was originally expected to open this year, according to previous reporting.
“We took that challenge on,” Carey said. “It will hopefully be done by the end of this year and maybe opening in January.”
Carey said the childcare center will initially serve public safety employees working on the Regional Training Center campus before expanding to other first responder partners.
Capt. Brian Leer, with the Boone County Sheriff’s Office, said the project is designed to address childcare challenges that can come with careers in public safety.
“When we talk about how hard it’s been to recruit in public safety over the last nearly decade, it’s been very difficult just to recruit people for jobs within the public safety sector,” Leer said. “You add the crazy hours that we work. We have employees working those odd shifts, and it’s really hard to find childcare outside of that Monday through Friday, 8 to 5, 8 to 6 p.m. type timeframe.”
Leer said officials hope the childcare center will make public safety careers more appealing while helping current employees balance work and family responsibilities.
The childcare center is part of the Boone County Regional Training Center, which serves law enforcement and other public safety agencies.
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