Early Childhood Development Center at Shimer Square ​

Childcare Interest Form

Job Interest Form

Construction on the new Early Childhood Development Center at Shimer Square was officially kicked off on October 2024 with completion targeted June 2025, a landmark project representing the first new construction on the campus since the 1950s. This initiative has been in the works for over two years, driven by the demand for accessible childcare while building a new construction center that meet childcare standards. Completion is anticipated for fall 2025, weather permitting and/or unforeseen circumstances. 

​Childcare is more than just a service—it's a critical component of workforce development. By addressing the childcare needs of families, we enable parents to pursue career opportunities and contribute to the local economy. The Early Childhood Development Center at Shimer Square will play a pivotal role in supporting job creation, increasing access to quality childcare, and fostering a thriving, connected region.

​In a strategic move to foster job creation, community growth, and development, GROWTH, at the request of the City of Mount Carroll, is developing a high-quality childhood development center adjacent to new housing units that are currently under construction within McKee/Hostetter and Dezendorf Halls. 

To help bring this vision to life, GROWTH secured a maximum $800,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services' Office of Community Services (OCS) through the Community Economic Development (CED) program in October 2022. This significant grant, awarded to GROWTH as the sole grantee from Illinois for that fiscal year, marks a pivotal step in advancing this critical development. Building on this momentum, we conducted a comprehensive feasibility study in 2023, in collaboration with the City of Mount Carroll. The study highlighted a strong demand for an early childhood development center within a 30-minute radius of Mount Carroll, underscoring the necessity and relevance of this facility. The significance of this project further resonated in 2023 when GROWTH, in collaboration with the City of Mount Carroll, undertook a comprehensive feasibility study to assess the feasibility and need of establishing an early childhood development center for families living within a 30-minute radius of Mount Carroll. The results of the study indicated a strong demand for such a facility,  underscoring the relevance of such an institution within the Shimer Square campus.

GROWTH is continues to work with its identified Operator, with a formal announcement of that coming in the future. 

Opening of the center by the operator will be contingent upon DCFS and Fire Marshall approval. 

Floor plan features maximum child to teacher ratios for infants to 5 years.

The Childhood Development Center at Shimer Square will feature a brand-new early childcare facility, create new jobs, and help working families in Mount Carroll, IL, by providing much-needed access to childcare. After carefully evaluating factors like costs, funding, and timing, and childcare requirements, we determined that new construction on the Shimer Square campus was the best option. This decision was made with thorough consideration to ensure the center efficiently meets the community's needs.

Week of May 9, 2025: Exterior siding, interior insulation, and drywall completed.

Week of March 24, 2025: Exterior siding, interior insulation, and drywall underway.

Trusses are up and sheeting will be finalized by December 13, 2024. Winter weather has officially set in, so crews will work to shingle and adding siding to the building as weather permits.

Walls went up on November 18, 2024 with trusses following. Mother Nature has been very kind in providing favorable weather conditions for work to continue on schedule. 

Construction officially kicked off on October 17, 2024. Work is progressing smoothly on the Early Childcare Development Center with pictures posted as of 10/23/2024: site work, grading, and foundation excavation will be completed, along with preparation of the building pad and parking area. Next week, underground mechanical, electrical, and plumbing installations will begin, followed by foundation wall pours. In the coming weeks, we’ll see walls go up and trusses installed. We've been fortunate with favorable weather and hope it continues to keep construction moving forward before winter sets in.

The Center will include a dedicated pick-up and drop-off location. To reduce site work and maximize play area requirements, the location of the Center was adjusted accordingly to the corner of Seminary and Jackson Street.

A ceremonial groundbreaking was held in June 2024. The project evolved through further research and expert input, with bid notices issued in August and awarded in September 2024. These efforts lead for construction to begin in October 2024 with completion around the same time the redevelopment of McKee/Hostetter and Dezendorf Halls into 51 apartments is completed.

Childcare Feasibility Study

In January 2023, GROWTH, in partnership with the City of Mount Carroll, sought to conduct a childcare feasibility study to justify the childcare needs of the community. The market study would fully quantify need within Carroll County and is a prerequisite to partnering with an operator.   At the request of GROWTH, the City of Mount Carroll agreed to fund the required market study early in 2023 and GROWTH commissioned Triangle 2 Solutions, an experienced childcare center market analyst, to investigate the potential services and physical space that will be needed for a new childcare center and early childhood programs to serve the area. 

The feasibility study produced concrete detail on demand, projected participants, pricing, and desirable amenities and features. An executive summary of the feasibility study shows a very strong indication and comprehensive picture of the current and forecasted demand for childcare services and that Shimer Square fit the market for a childcare center to serve residents living within a 30-minute radius.  

The study strongly supports the development of a childcare center with results received by primary care providers of children ages 0 to 10, summarized below:

• 402 completed phone interviews
• 130 online surveys
• A very high majority of the responses found the Shimer Square location to be very or somewhat convenient by the survey respondents
• Equally high interest in full-day childcare/preschool at Shimer Square
• The study also showed the most important elements in choosing a daycare are the quality of staff, price, and location.
• Click here to view the Executive Summary.

The Early Childcare Development Center and any reference to it within the Shimer Square website is supported by Grant Number 93.570 from the Office of Community Services within the Administration for Children and Families, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Neither the Administration for Children and Families nor any of its components operate, control, are responsible for, or necessarily endorse this website (including, without limitation, its content, technical infrastructure, and policies, and any services or tools provided). The opinions, findings, conclusions, and recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Administration for Children and Families and the Office of Community Services.