MOODY AIR FORCE BASE — In nine days, Moody Air Force Base will break ground on a new Child Development Center.

The facility is being funded with $10 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds, the largest military construction contract ever funded by ARRA at Moody, according to a Savannah District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers press release.

The new facility will be located directly across the street from the existing Child Development Center at 3112 Coney St. and will accommodate approximately 276 children — including infant, pre-toddler, toddler and pre-school ages, said Karen White, Child Development Center director. The estimated completion date for the project is March 2011, according to Moody’s public affairs office.

The Savannah District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $10,637,382 firm-fixed-price contract for design and construction of the center at Moody AFB to Slone Associates Inc., a small-business contractor with headquarters in Valdosta, the press release stated.

The contract includes site preparation, design and construction of a 37,781-square-foot single-story structural steel frame with reinforced concrete foundation and floor slab, concrete masonry, brick exterior, finish system accents, standing seam metal roof, pickup/drop-off area, outdoor play area, parking, access road and all necessary utilities and support, according to www.veteranstoday.com.

Interior design includes classrooms, training and staff resource rooms, administrative offices, reception area, kitchen, staff break room, laundry and janitorial rooms. The project will require the demolition of the former base living quarters of Moody’s wing commander, vice wing commander, and command chief, White said.

Moody is also planning to upgrade the current Child Development Center facility with $4.5 million in Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) funds, said Dawn Coleman, Airmen and Family Services flight chief. The BRAC funds will be used to add six more classrooms, a new lobby and a reception area, as well as upgrading the older facility, she said.

The goal of the Air Force is for bases to provide 85 percent of their own child-care needs, White said. Moody AFB currently provides approximately 55 percent.

There are between 150 and 180 parents waiting to enroll their children at the Child Development Center at any given time. Ninety-eight percent of those children are either on the not-yet-born list or the under-age-2 list, she said.

“The Air Force did a child development needs assessment five years ago, and it was established that Moody needed a Child Development Center. When Col. (Kenneth) Todorov was here, he said his No. 1 construction need for the base was a child development center,” White said.

Approximately 100 additional personnel will be hired to staff the new facility, White said. There will be a complete management staff and offices in both buildings, she added.

The Moody Child Development Center provides full-time care for children between the ages of 6 weeks old to 5 years old of active-duty military, Department of Defense civilians paid by either non-appropriated funds (NAF) or appropriated funds (APF), reservists on active duty or during active-duty training and Department of Defense contractors.

“We provide high-quality, early-childhood programs in a safe and nurturing home-like environment, while promoting the development and growth of children entrusted to our care,” White said.

Child Development Center staff members are on call 24 hours a day and can be recalled at any time of day or night during exercises or real-world emergencies, said Rocanne Wills, family child care coordinator.

They must respond within 30 minutes of being recalled and be ready for Moody’s parents to drop off their children.

“The most important thing is that the kids are taken care of and their parents can complete their mission,” White said.

White, Coleman and Wills all hold advanced degrees in childhood education and related fields and have worked in Air Force child-care services an average of 20-plus years, they said. All Child Development Center staff must complete an 18-month “aggressive and very in-depth training program,” Coleman said.

Moody’s Child Development Center is accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs and the National Association of Education of Young Children, White said. The center also frequently partners with Valdosta State University, Valdosta Technical College, Georgia Military College and Park University, she added.

Visit www.moodyservices.com or call 229-257-3935 to learn more.