COLFAX, Iowa — Colfax-Mingo Community School District is teaming up with the new nonprofit Colfax Economic Development Corporation to open a childcare center.

Tim Salmon, the Superintendent of the school district, worked with the Iowa Women’s Foundation to create the Colfax Economic Development Corporation (CEDCO) which applied for and received a $1.7 million grant from the state to build the childcare center.

However, to receive the grant money, CEDCO must raise a matching amount of money from the community.

“So the way that the grants are set up is the state will kick in half the money, but the state won’t provide their half of the money until we raise them out locally,” Salmon said.

Based on the grant construction is set to begin this summer which means CEDCO needs to raise matching funds sooner rather than later.

“So we’re on a really tight timeframe right now. So we have to, we have to have the funds raised by this spring,” Salmon said.

The planned childcare center will be built on the Colfax-Mingo Elementary School campus and have the capacity for 100 children. It will also include two preschool rooms and support after-school wrap-around care for elementary students.

To make a tax-deductible donation to the childcare center project or to learn more visit CEDCO’s website.