By Ryan Applegate

People’s Defender

The Adams County Christian School (ACCS) in cooperation with several local entities including, but not limited to, Adams County Economic Development, CMT Components in Sardinia, and the Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development (COAD) are bringing a daycare facility back to Adams County. The facility, named The Eagles Nest, is located at 107 Rice Drive in West Union and plans to open, pending certification by the state of Ohio, by December 2024 or January 2025.

Since the August 31, 2024 closure of First Steps Daycare in Peebles, there has not been a licensed daycare facility in Adams County.

Eagles Nest Daycare will be able to serve approximately 28 children two and a half years old to school-attending age. Plans are also in motion to accommodate infants according to ACCS board member Leanne Liston, “We must do some renovations to ensure that the infant room is up to code and then resubmit the application to include infants. When that is all in place we will be able to take on 12 infants per two dedicated infant care staff.”

Families will be able to apply for financial assistance when applying for childcare at Eagles Nest Daycare and the price for a child to attend is based on the age of the attendee.

The building that will house Eagles Nest Daycare is the former home of the West Union Southern Baptist Church and was sold to ACCS in April 2023 for $1. During the 2023-2024 school year, ACCS used the building for their kindergarten classes but found the situation isolating for the young children. “They were just too detached from the rest of the school. Our school has Chapel services, and we can’t just pack up 12 kindergartners and take them up there to have church. They were just too detached from the rest of the school, so it made sense to move them back up there. That left this building empty,” Liston told The People’s Defender.

Liston indicated that any profits accrued by Eagles Nest Daycare will go to ACCS.

Acting Director of Eagles Nest Daycare Mary Ann Williams was hired in September and has led the charge when it comes to getting the facility prepared to open. Wiliams has spent countless hours cleaning and assembling toys and furniture in preparation for opening.

“Mary Ann worked at First Step Daycare until they closed their doors at the end of August, and we immediately hired her over here. She’s been working on this building getting it ready for us to move forward with our plans to open,” Liston said.

ACCS was motivated to start Eagles Nest Daycare because a major hindrance to parents being able to work full-time gainful jobs was access to childcare locally.

“When talking to local organizations such as GRIT and Ohio Means Jobs, they relayed that a common refrain from parents that wanted to join the workforce was, ‘We don’t have anywhere to send our kids.’ That’s why they have been so supportive. They really wanted this project to work out. It’s bigger than the Christian School, it’s bigger than Mary Ann and I. It’s really been such a great effort amongst so many organizations. I don’t think it’s very often that you see that many organizations come together for the greater good,” Liston said.

Megan Pieper who works for COAD, specifically in the COAD4Kids department, has worked with Eagles Nest Daycare throughout the process and is currently assisting with ensuring the paperwork is in order before submission to the state of Ohio for certification.

Williams is excited to get the facility up and running and said, “I am looking forward to getting kids here so I can love them, teach them, help them, and whatever they need.”