Help us create a warm welcome for our youngest generations.
We’re addressing the waiting lists at our EEC by creating an accessible, one-level modern child care center for infants & toddlers through pre-K children. It’ll be a warm welcome for our youngest generation, and help meet a dire need for quality child care and early education in our community.
St. Joseph plans to renovate its Early Education Center (EEC) to address its growing wait lists and expand its quality programs for infant through pre-K childcare and early education center.
A Front Porch to Our Parish
Watch the video below as Fr. Scott Wallisch, pastor, describes the unique value of St. Joseph Early Education Center for families in our community. St. Joseph is one of the only facilities in the region that provides infant through Pre-K care and education for more than 100 children in a facility surrounded by a supportive, faith-based community.
Since its beginnings in the 1980s, the EEC has served as the "front porch" to the St. Joseph Church community, welcoming young families to begin their education and faith journeys here. But the facility in which the EEC is located (the 74-year-old former St. Joseph High School building) has aging mechanical systems and accessibility challenges for both families and staff. Fully renovating the building would be cost-prohibitive. After considerable study, the parish now plans to renovate a portion of the existing EEC space and build a new, single-floor addition with modern childcare amenities.
Now, with a modern, expanded facility positioned near the entrance of the bustling campus, the EEC will be capable of greeting generations more of our neighbors.
At the EEC, young children are introduced to faith formation through the innovative Catechesis of the Good Shepherd program, which creates “hands on” learning opportunities in spaces specially designed for 3–6-year-olds to learn about praying and listening to God’s Word. Additionally, pre-K students wear school uniforms and attend weekly Mass along with their 7th grade prayer partners.
Cultivating an Inclusive Educational Community
The welcome mat at the EEC will greet more families than ever. St. Joseph is designing an innovative and inclusive family-oriented facility with accessible spaces to learn, play and grow alongside children with different abilities. A new partnership with Special Olympics Kansas will bring young children to the St. Joseph campus for its Young Athletes program at the EEC. Meanwhile, St. Joseph Elementary School will become the first Catholic school in the region to become a Special Olympics Unified Champion School, a program which promotes student leadership and meaningful social inclusion.
When completed, the renovated EEC will have capacity for 172 children in a single-floor, accessible facility. It will be the largest licensed childcare facility in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas (and one of the only centers offering infant & toddler care) and in the city of Shawnee. State figures show that only 55% of the need for childcare is currently being met in the city of Shawnee.
Yet the St. Joseph EEC retains the charm of loving care and enriched early childhood learning that have been its hallmarks for decades. A dedicated staff -- many with 20+ years of experience and advanced degrees -- provide joyful and nurturing care for young children here. And always, they are inspired by faith to lead children to know Christ.
Facility Improvements
Plans for the EEC renovation include remodeling of existing spaces and new construction of additional classrooms, all on one floor and designed specifically for infant through pre-K learning. All classrooms will have restrooms and hand-washing stations, with cot storage in the classrooms for young nappers.
A sensory room and a mother's nursing room will be created, and additional meeting space will be available for teachers and staff.
A new toddler playground will be constructed, and the current EEC playground will also be available for preschoolers and pre-K students. The children will have better proximity to the auxiliary (carpeted) gym/multipurpose room. The building will be fully secure and accessible in both indoor and playground spaces.
Because the plans for the “new” St. Joseph EEC include both renovated existing space and newly constructed spaces, this project is truly a hybrid, “best of both worlds” solution. The single-floor addition will make the entire building much easier to navigate, along with a new elevator between the main gym, auxiliary gym and cafeteria spaces.
Parish & Community Impact
The EEC currently has dozens of families on its waiting lists. The community -- and area workforce -- has a significant need for childcare to support the local economy. The state of Kansas reports that only 55% of the need for childcare is currently being met in the city of Shawnee, KS.
In addition to planning to address a dire need for early childcare in the community, St. Joseph has conducted in-depth financial planning to ensure the sustainability of the EEC operation. With expanded enrollment capacity in the proposed new building, the parish forecasts that the Center will be an even stronger support to its education ministry.
No other parish Early Education Center in the Archdiocese has the potential to make this kind of impact on Catholic education and evangelization like the St. Joseph EEC with its Generations Growing Together Campaign. This innovative plan to establish a modern, secure and accessible center for childcare and early education, while prudently renovating and utilizing existing space, will invite young families to thrive and cultivate a joyful and supportive faith journey here.
