Bright Beginnings Childcare Center isn’t just a new facility in Great Bend, Kansas—it’s a smart, community-driven investment in workforce development. Funded through the Child Care Capacity Accelerator grant, the project addresses a growing need in rural areas: accessible, high-quality childcare that helps working families thrive.
As more families in rural communities face the dual challenge of finding employment and securing quality childcare, projects like Bright Beginnings are vital. Ensuring safe, enriching childcare isn’t just good policy, it’s smart economic development.
This project wouldn’t have been possible without the leadership of Sara Arnberger, Executive Director of Great Bend Economic Development, whose dedication and local connections helped turn vision into reality. Sara’s collaboration fostered a deep sense of connection between our team and the wider Great Bend community, paving the way for meaningful partnerships—particularly with Advancing Barton County Childcare (ABCC) and its board. Their diverse perspectives enriched the design process and helped ensure the center aligns with ABCC’s mission: to provide Barton County families with quality, reliable, and sustainable childcare solutions.
Meeting Development Needs with Smart, Thoughtful Design
Designing early childhood education spaces means understanding how the built environment shapes learning. We know that when designing childcare facilities, natural light and sensory elements such as color, texture, and adaptable classroom layouts must be carefully integrated to support a child’s development.
Because of our close collaboration with ABCC and the Great Bend community, we dove deep into designing spaces with their children’s caregivers in mind. We began by imagining the daily rhythm of the space—how staff interact with students, how transitions happen, and how to ensure every element supports the people who care for the children. This also means a flexible layout was critical in balancing efficiency with functionality. Classrooms were intentionally grouped together to allow for better staff support and supervision. Thoughtfully chosen door hardware is just one of many examples that contributed to ease of access and safety. Furniture played a key role too, enabling adaptable zones within classrooms to support various learning activities.
Our project team leaned into creative, cost-effective solutions during the design process. Each decision balanced practicality with quality, ensuring that even with limited resources, kids would have a safe, stimulating environment to grow and learn.
Bright Beginnings is a shining example of how intentional design, community collaboration, and public investment can build a better future—not just for Great Bend, but for rural communities across Kansas.
