Children of Iowa State students, faculty and staff helped ISU President Martin Jischke break ground Monday for a new child care center that will be located near the College of Veterinary Medicine complex.

The ceremony was kicked off by Katie Baumgarn, chair of the University Child Care Committee, who introduced three speakers before the actual ground breaking.

The first speaker was Carla Espinoza, assistant vice president of Human Resource Services, who spoke of Joann Kinyon, a key player in individual support for the child care center who began lobbying in 1983 for this facility.

Espinoza said, “Your family is important to you; therefore, your family is important to Iowa State University.”

The second speaker was Brent Johnson, a senior in veterinary medicine and a father of two. Johnson spoke of the great benefits of having the child care center on campus. He said that the facility will be appreciated by both single parents and married couples.

“Children are the greatest resource we have, and we need to take care of them,” Johnson said.

The final speaker was Jischke, who also emphasized the importance of children in our future and the need to protect and nurture them.

“Breaking ground symbolizes the beginning of something new. Children are life’s examples of new beginnings,” Jischke said.

The center will be approximately 8,000 square feet. It will be designed to accommodate 84 children, from infants to children old enough to attend school.

It will be residentially designed, containing window seats, lofts and porches. The design includes an outdoor play space.

It will be managed by a separate child care agency, Johnson said. There will be a proposal process for a child care provider to determine which agency will manage the child care facility.

The cost of the project comes to approximately $1.46 million. The center will be in Walnut Woods near the College of Veterinary Medicine.