National Child Care Facility Cost Estimator
The Cost Estimator encompasses a supply building cost formula and tool that calculates estimated total projected costs for construction or renovation of center-based child care facilities, (including hard, soft, and contingency). The tool accounts for national cost variations for a child care center’s geographic location, type, and size. This project is part of the National Children’s Facilities Network (NCFN or the Network) ongoing commitment to support financial and technical assistance intermediaries dedicated to helping early care and education (ECE) providers develop high-quality physical learning environments and sustainable business models.
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About the Project
The Network has long maintained that the physical environment is an essential feature of programs that is often overlooked. Efforts to allocate resources that support the diverse needs of a mixed-delivery programs in a variety of home and center-based settings are often stymied by a lack of guidance on how to best estimate the cost of supply building activities aimed at creating high-quality center and home-based early learning environments. It is important that infrastructure methodologies account for construction costs variances based upon the type, size and location of a facility project. Having a formula and estimate that allows for accurate local cost calculations rooted in child care facility design and construction best practices will help public and private sector entities allocate resources to support the acquisition, construction and renovation of child care facilities.
National Child Care Facility Cost Estimator attempt to bridge the information gap by bringing construction data and industry trends per geographic area to the forefront of the decision-making process. Creating a baseline criterion offers some clarity and uniformity around industry-recommended standards associated with materializing high-quality center and home-based early learning environments. A cost per child metric can be altered by input variable(s) to determine cost per square-foot metrics associated with ensuring that allocatable capital funding is sufficient when deployed.
The cost formula and resulting calculator was developed by Hillman Development Advisors, LLC (HDA) in coordination with Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and ECE facilities consultant Kathy Tama. The NCFN Executive Committee, with NCFN member support, facilitated the initial RFP process, and provided feedback during the development of the tool.