By Boris Ladwig, The Republic
bladwig@therepublic.com
Cummins Inc. will offer child care at Jefferson Education Center for at least a year while the company determines how to replace its Child Development Center, which sustained heavy flood damage.
Through Sept. 5, Cummins will offer child care at Community Church of Columbus, 3850 N. Marr Road.
Meanwhile, through an agreement with Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp., the company will prepare the Jefferson center, at 1209 Sycamore St., for its new role.
The current programs at Jefferson will move to the McDowell Education Center and Northside Middle School.
BCSC Superintendent John Quick said the proposed interior modifications at the Jefferson center could facilitate a future BCSC early childhood center.
Cummins will lease the center but has not disclosed leasing expenses.
"This should remove a little of the uncertainty for our parents," said Lisa Gutierrez, Cummins' executive director of global diversity, whose department oversees the child development center.
"Cummins is committed to delivering a quality center. That didn't change with last month's flooding. This arrangement gives us the time to put a short- and long-term plan together."
Cummins decided to no longer offer child care in its 21,000-square-foot facility at 650 Pleasant Grove because it wants to "exercise an 'abundance of caution' around facilities focused on children," the company said in a press release.
Although the likelihood of the center flooding again is low, as the June 7 flood exceeded water levels of the Great Flood of 1913, "We're just not going to take the chance," said Mark Land, director of public relations.
Cummins Dependant Care Strategy Manager Victoria Baker said she is "confident we can recreate the look and feel of the center in a new location."
The award-winning $4.8 million facility, which is licensed for more than 220 children, was dedicated in 2001. Houston-based architect Carlos Jimenez called his creation a "miniature city for kids." The high-tech facility featured heated floors, low windows for children and a 16,000-square-oot courtyard with play areas.
Cummins for years had planned to open such a facility. A proposed center at Second, Lindsey and Third streets was scrapped in 1998 because of concerns from Parent Advisory Council and pressure from shareholders to focus on profitability.
Offering child care adds to a benefits package that helps Cummins attract and retain employees.
The company said it "has gone to significant expense to retain many of the teachers at the CCDC, subsidizing the payroll while the center was closed."
The facility is administered by Bright Horizons Family Solutions, which, according to its Web site, manages more than 600 child care centers.
Land said that about half of the 160 children at CCDC made the move to the church, which required some teachers to be let go. Jefferson ultimately could accommodate about 220 children, which would require more teachers, and Cummins expects to begin normal fall registration when Jefferson becomes available.