In a recent government meeting, Brooke Bruner, the director of early learning, presented two key documents for approval: the South City lease agreement at Wesson and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Leon County Schools and the South City Foundation. This partnership aims to address the pressing need for childcare in the South City area, which has been identified as a childcare desert.

The MoU outlines that Leon County Schools will serve as the hiring authority for a new childcare center that will cater to infants up to age three. The South City Foundation has secured a grant to cover staff salaries, enabling the center to operate as a licensed childcare facility under the Department of Children and Families (DCF). The center will provide up to 48 seats for infants and toddlers, with a structured transition plan for children as they grow older, allowing them to move into pre-kindergarten programs within the same building.

Bruner emphasized the importance of this initiative for families in the Southside community, while also reserving seats for Leon County Schools employees, recognizing the challenges they face in finding affordable infant care. The center is expected to open soon, with enrollment already underway and staff in place, including a director and two teachers. The community is eager for the center to begin operations, as it promises to fill a critical gap in early childhood education and care.