Plans for the construction of the proposed Sheppard CDC (Child Development Center) in Texas are well on course. Recently US$ 27M was secured from the Air Force for the development of the project which is set to provide Air Force families with quality child care infrastructure. This aim falls in line with (AFIMSC) Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center‘s mission to strengthen the AF families. AFIMSC’s Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC) along with the Air Force Services Center, successfully led the Sheppard CDC project’s award.
Noteworthy, this is the first of four CDCs awarded in the fiscal year of 2022. According to AFCEC’s military construction project manager, Christian Harper, the remaining projects will be awarded between July and September. Other centers are expected to be built at JBSA-Fort Sam Houston, Lackland, Texas, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base locations.
Construction on the Sheppard CDC project is scheduled to be completed by April 2024.
Expectations for the Sheppard CDC project
The Sheppard CDC project will provide military and civilian families with a new child center, occupying 28,711 square feet. This new center will enable families to enjoy access to affordable and high-quality facilities for their children. Moreover, several amenities will be featured, which include a sleeping area, a child-learning space, and an outdoor play area. Provisions will also be made for administrative and kitchen spaces.
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Based on the design plans, the new Sheppard CDC project is expected to house up to 200 children and 60 staff members. Thereby, enabling families to drop off children or infants from six weeks to five years of age. Furthermore, this new center will serve as a replacement for the old facility which was built in 1973. In addition to the new CDC’s increased capacity, plans call for 40 additional childcare spaces. These spaces will be developed through the expansion of the installation’s on-base Family Child Care program.
The 82nd Training Wing commander at Sheppard AFB, Lyle Drew, spoke on the importance of safe and reliable child care. He pointed out that this was one of the most important priorities for military families settling in a new community. Especially at the Sheppard AFB location, which has a host of families arriving from all over the world.
Drew mentioned that meeting this need would allow the airmen to focus on training, which is the core mission at Sheppard.
