Neighbors' Educational Opportunities (NEO) will have to wait a bit longer to see if the city of Portage will help fund a proposed childcare program and career training center.
NEO Executive Director Rebecca Reiner told the city council last week that childcare is often a barrier for adults looking to continue their education or get a job. Now, the organization has expanded its proposed program to serve kids as young as infants in a 7,000-square-foot facility.
"It will be a game-changer to families, to businesses, to have 88 to 112 seats or childcare spots here in Portage," Reiner said.
She added that the childcare center would also have a training component, so students can earn certifications in early childhood education that could qualify for their high school graduation pathway.
Meanwhile, NEO is also working on a training center to allow high school and adult students to learn in-demand skills. The organization is about to start work to prepare 10,000 square feet of its space in the former Camelot Bowl for that purpose, while it talks with stakeholders to figure out exactly what kind of training it should offer.
"We are bringing a service, a vital service, that really does impact the economic development of the city and the quality of life for the residents. And we have an opportunity to do something really pretty awesome at that 30-acre, 70,000-square-foot building," Reiner added.
She said the two projects are now estimated to cost $3.2 million. Almost $900,000 has already been allocated from Porter County's share of federal American Rescue Plan money, and other donors have committed funds. Reiner once again asked the city of Portage to allocate some of its ARPA money to help make up the difference. The city can't technically give NEO the money directly, since it used the ARPA funds to reimburse its own cash reserves for revenues lost during the pandemic, but it could use money that was freed up.
The Portage City Council plans to take a closer look at how much of that money is left in January and decide whether to give any of it to non-profits.
