Ohio's first Goodwill Childcare Center opens in Chillicothe

Megan Becker, Chillicothe Gazette
·2 min read

CHILLICOTHE ― Ohio's first Goodwill Childcare Center has opened in Chillicothe.

Heavily decorated with colorful art created by Goodwill's adult day services, the childcare center officially opened on Sept. 18 to provide care for children aged infant to age 4, including children with disabilities.

Goodwill Missions Coordinator Cana Horner has worked with Goodwill for 15 years. She said a childcare center has always been a dream of hers, especially after hearing employees call off of work because they don't have daycare, particularly following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eisley Whiston attends the Goodwill Childcare Center at 2541 Western Ave.
Eisley Whiston attends the Goodwill Childcare Center at 2541 Western Ave.

The mission of the center is already successful, as shown in employees like Chelsea Seymour. She has worked at the childcare center since July and is able to bring her son to the daycare while she works, allowing her to return to the workforce after six years.

Although the childcare center is a great resource for Goodwill employees, it also has shown to be a valuable resource for the community. Horner said choices for daycare are limited in Chillicothe, with many daycares having limited spots and long waitlists.

Goodwill CEO Marvin Jones said the childcare center has allowed people to return to work, following Goodwill's mission of helping, "people get jobs and keep jobs."

Prince Garuba of the Ohio Association of Goodwill Industries said the conversation surrounding the childcare center started with a discussion about barriers to the workforce post-COVID.

"Childcare, transportation was a huge issue for a lot of employers," Garuba said. "This is the first Goodwill in Ohio to do it and the third in the Midwest. This is a relatively new idea."

Jones said the building on Western Avenue used to house administrative offices. It has taken months of work to transform the building into a daycare. Childcare Administrator Mary Anne Queen said she first saw the building when it was still an office and has seen firsthand how much effort was expended to transform the space.

The Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development (COAD) has an early care and education division that assists daycares with professional development, licensing, decorating and more. COAD Regional Coordinator Megan Pieper said her team has helped the childcare center since day 1 and plans to assist in creating more childcare centers in the region.

Although only half of the building is currently open to daycare, Goodwill can care for 49 children and expects to double that number when the other side opens in 2024. A wait list will be maintained and openings filled when possible.

Goodwill opened their childcare center at 2541 Western Ave. on Sept. 28, 2023.
Goodwill opened their childcare center at 2541 Western Ave. on Sept. 28, 2023.

The ribbon-cutting on Sept. 28 hosted numerous prominent community members including Mayor Luke Feeney, State Representative Mark Johnson, Kelli Johnson representing the office of Senator JD Vance and members of the Chillicothe Ross Chamber of Commerce.

The Goodwill Childcare Center is located at 2541 Western Avenue in Chillicothe, Ohio. For more information, visit gwisco.org/childcare/.

Megan Becker is a reporter for the Chillicothe Gazette. Call her at 740-349-1106, email her at mbecker@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @BeckerReporting.

This article originally appeared on Chillicothe Gazette: Goodwill Childcare Center opens on Western Avenue in Chillicothe