Pope County Childcare Hub Moves Forward with Nearly $4 Million in Secured Funding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 23, 2026 | Glenwood, Minnesota

New facility joins in-home providers and regional partners in responding to a documented 200-seat childcare gap across Pope County.

GLENWOOD, Minn. — Lakes Area Enrichment Center (LAEC) is moving forward with plans to build a new childcare facility in Glenwood, joining in-home providers and regional partners in addressing a documented 200-seat childcare shortage across Pope County. The project brings together federal, county, and private funding to add 76 licensed childcare seats to a region where both center-based and in-home provider capacity has been declining.

Lakes Area Enrichment Center is a privately and federally funded entity that owns the childcare business and facility, with Minnewaska Area Schools serving as the licensed operator and manager, and without funding support from the school district on the building project.

A Regional Need

Pope County has a confirmed shortage of 200 childcare seats. The decline in available childcare reflects a statewide trend: center-based programs face rising operating costs, and the number of licensed in-home providers has been shrinking across rural Minnesota. Capacity can change quickly when providers transition operations.

Minnewaska Area Schools currently pays a significant amount per month to transport preschoolers for special education services to LAEC’s current location on the lower level of WIN Academy in Starbuck. Locating the new facility adjacent to Minnewaska Area Elementary School in Glenwood places childcare in a more central location relative to where families in Pope County are concentrated, reduces transportation distances, and is required by the terms of the USDA Community Facilities Grant, which mandates placement within Glenwood city limits. The new location is expected to significantly reduce transportation costs while also creating a more integrated early learning environment for young children and their families.

About the Project

The new 6,730-square-foot facility is designed to serve 76 children across three age groups: 16 infant spots (6 weeks to 16 months), 40 toddler spots (16 to 33 months), and 20 preschool-age spots (33 months to Kindergarten). School-age before and after care will continue to be provided by Minnewaska Area Schools through its existing programming.

The building will be constructed on property adjacent to Minnewaska Area Elementary School in Glenwood and will utilize the school’s commercial kitchen to provide meals for enrolled children. Studio E Architects is leading the design with an intentional focus on maintaining a neighborhood-appropriate appearance while coordinating with the look and feel of the elementary school. Breitbach Construction is serving as Construction Manager and has managed several successful USDA-funded projects. The public bidding process is scheduled for June 2026.

LAEC’s current space on the lower level of WIN Academy in Starbuck will be repurposed as a childcare hub available to independent childcare providers. This site is separate from Glacial Hills childcare in Starbuck and is specifically intended to extend the reach of the county-wide network rather than consolidate all childcare under a single location.

How It Is Being Funded

The project is funded through a combination of federal, county, and private sources. No school district funds are being used for the building or construction.

Secured Funding Summary

Funding Source	Amount	Notes
USDA Community Facilities Grant	$1,875,000	Reimbursement grant; environmental review complete
Pope County Investment	$1,000,000	<$500K construction + $500K operational startup/td>
Private Business Partners	$1,050,000	9 partners committed; fully secured
TOTAL SECURED	$3,925,000

Private Business Partners

The following Glenwood-area businesses and organizations have formally pledged support for the project, collectively committing $1,050,000 alongside Pope County’s investment and the USDA grant.

Partner	Pledge
American Solutions for Business	$100,000
American Diversity	$100,000
Clyde Machines	$100,000
Dental Health Services	$50,000
Eagle Bank	$100,000
FAST Global Solutions	$100,000
Glacial Ridge Hospital	$200,000
Glenwood Development Corporation	$200,000 (site purchase, home relocation & site prep)
Glenwood State Bank	$100,000

Project Timeline

Date	Milestone
February 2026	City of Glenwood unanimously approved conditional use permit, variances, and lot line adjustment
April 20, 2026	Minnewaska Area School Board presentation on updated Pope County Early Childhood Hub project; site parcel sale to Glenwood Development Corporation
May 2026	Site preparation begins; house and extra garage moved off site
June 2026	Public bidding process
July 2026	Construction begins
March 1, 2027	Grand Opening – Pope County Early Childhood Hub, Glenwood, serving 76 children
April 1, 2027	Starbuck site repurposed as childcare hub, extending county-wide childcare network

What This Means for the Community

The project is designed to complement, not replace, the broader network of childcare options in Pope County. The Starbuck hub model is specifically intended to support independent providers rather than consolidate all childcare under a single organization. Together, the Glenwood facility and the Starbuck hub are projected to support the childcare needs across the county when fully operational.
Additional community benefits include new professional job opportunities, reduced transportation burden for working families, and a projected economic return per dollar invested in early childhood care.

About Lakes Area Enrichment Center

Lakes Area Enrichment Center is a private nonprofit organization serving the Pope County region. LAEC is the owner and primary funder of the Pope County Early Childhood Hub project. Minnewaska Area Schools (ISD 2149) will serve as the licensed operator and manager of the childcare facility under a formal managing and licensing agreement with LAEC.