Geography Project Plan
I. Introduction
In Illinois daycare centers have become very limited to the population of parents
who work and attend school. In 2022, average wages for a daycare worker was $13.71,
which means the yearly salary is $28,520 (bls.gov 2022). What this means is that while
the cost of living is going up due to Covid-19, no one wants to work for minimum wage
leaving daycare centers high and dry. Research also shows that daycare is not only a
major priority for families with children, but the most expensive. From 2012 there has
been a decrease by 65% in childcare (https://seiuhcilin.org/2022/05/cc4all-and-report/).
What I would like to do is offer reduced childcare that is affordable for everyone.
II. General Overview and Rationale
With this in mind, not only is it needed all over the US., but it’s very much needed
in Carrollton, Illinois. The one and only daycare that was available has been closed down
since 2017. What does this mean if one were to open in Carrollton, IL? Since 2017
families have struggled finding daycare even within a 15 mile radius. The closest one is
in Jerseyville and has a 2 year waiting list. At 399 US-67 Carrollton, IL, this will be a
very convenient location for a daycare for families of all ages even for an afterschool
program. It's right off one of the major highways that goes through midwestern Illinois.
This would be a great accomplishment for all.
III. Region Relevance
Geography Project Plan
This location is central of Greene County for most workers. It is either on the way
for the workers that work in Jerseyville, which is 10 miles from Carrollton, or 10 miles
for the ones that work in Carrollton from White Hall, Greenfield, and Eldred. It is most
definitely an ideal spot since it is right off the highway and has easy access to the
building.
IV. Location Relevance
While it is outside of city limits of Carrollton, it is less than 5 miles away from the
local hospital, grocery supply store, the schools, fire dept., and the police station. These
are major factors that I have researched for the goals I would hope to achieve in the next
5 years. This is the most sensible location for a daycare of the families with children who
work 9-5 jobs with limited resources of daycare centers.
V. Place Relevance
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.24812,-90.3999325,3a,89.4y,75.23h,91.23t/data=!
Geography Project Plan
3m6!1e1!3m4!1siUuYXxfHfuGNWv7xjFcRdw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
This is the building outside of city limits but not too far out of the city
limits to where emergencies or supplies are too far out of reach when needed.
VI. Movement Relevance
Families are constantly on the move, whether it's their employment, towns,
schools etc. Children are always growing and aging year to year. So with having a
daycare/after school program starting at birth and stopping at 14 years of age, this would
benefit everyone. “Most Americans agree, in principle, that the government should invest
more resources in families, and give peace of mind to those who need
care”(https://prospect.org/familycare/building-movements-around-the-care-economy/)
With children constantly moving out, this allows for a constant rotation of children.
VII. Human-Environmental Interaction Relevance
For the start of the new business, there will be many human interactions. For
starters the bank, to do a construction loan for a complete remodel to get it up to date so
when it comes to being zoned, it will be done properly. There will be conversations with
landscaping, to be up to code with the state of Illinois, to have proper landscaping around
the building. There will be conversations with the local fire department to make sure
there are enough fire exits, extinguishers, hydrants close by for water, commercial smoke
detectors and alarms, and a fire zone. Police will have to be contacted to have plans in
place in case there is an emergency. Local papers will need to be involved to put ads out
for not only employment, but also for availability inside the daycare. Conversations with
the State of Illinois, not only for tax purposes but also for grants, because I believe that
the state needs to provide close to free childcare, on top of providing the supplies needed
Geography Project Plan
to open a daycare. The amount of taxes taken out of every paycheck of employees that
work in Illinois is 4.95% (https://smartasset.com/taxes/illinois-paycheck-
calculator#:~:text=Illinois%20has%20a%20flat%20income,the%20state%20income
%20tax%2C%20though.&text=How%20many%20allowances%20should%20you
%20claim%3F)
There will also be interviews with potential employees, on top of conversations with
potential parents of the children coming into the daycare/after school program.
VIII. Budget
For this project there are major renovations that would need to be done. Starting
from the inside out the flooring and walls would need to be redone. There would need to
be 10 rooms. The building is roughly 10,000 square feet. To do all the walls, it would
roughly cost $27,000 rounding up (https://cleancoatcustompainting.com/cost-to-paint-a-
10000-sq-ft-space/).
To paint all the walls, it would cost roughly $14,000 on the high end.
(www.cleancoatcustompainting.com) To get everything to code you have to have proper
electrical work in place, that average pay is about $3 per square foot, which could easily
cost about $30,000 on the high end. (www.houzeo.com) Since there is already electricity
in the building I would cut that rate in half. The roof definitely needs to be replaced and
the most efficient would be metal roofing for it lasts longer. The average cost with labor
is about $800 per square foot and can total $80,000. Next would be flooring which would
be carpeting. This averages about $3.38 per square foot for high traffic carpet on
www.lowes.com for about 7500 square feet which in total would be $25,350. You would
need appliances for the food such as a fridge, a freezer, a stove with a range hood, and
Geography Project Plan
microwave and that can total up to $2000 for the basic ones, these can also be found at
www.lowes.com. Next would be cabinets for storage and those can range at $200 a piece
on a higher end. Plumbing is also a big expense since there will need to be bathrooms for
the staff and students and that averages about $80 an hour on a high end and that's
without installing anything. For this scenario, there would need to be 3 bathrooms, one
for staff and two more for the girls and boys rooms. For a daycare there are guidelines per
the state of how big and how much you can have in a building for play equipment, cribs
etc. So for example one crib could cost up to $219 on the low end on
www.childcraftbaby.com (ChildCraftBaby). Another example would be playground
equipment which can easily cost $7,000 depending on the guidelines from the state
(www.willygoat.com). Lastly would be salaries which will play a huge role for the
services that would need to be provided. Minimum wage in Illinois is going to be bumped
up to $14 per hour starting January 2024. There is a need for this daycare in Greene
County. This is also why for projects like this there is a need to get grants from the state
so it's not as costly and tax dollars help provide for this. The going rate per family a week
with food provided should only be for the age group 4-14 should be $75. Children birth
to 3 years old should be $100 because they require more help and have more needs. The
average cost of a day care is usually per child per week and that can average out to be
almost $1100 a year. With government funding for all other essentials that rate would
drop by two thirds. Saving so many dollars for families money. A lot of the newer grants
coming out supply the renovations, the salaries, and essentials. Making this whole project
doable.
IX. Summary
Geography Project Plan
In conclusion, adding a daycare/ after school program to Greene County would be
a huge win and bonus for those that need it. So many people are depending on their
grandparents, aunts and uncles to watch out for their child while they work or attend
school, because there are no resources for daycare available. Adding this service to our
location would provide not only exceptional care, but it would also provide educational
services, and it's a rewarding career.
Geography Project Plan
X. References
https://seiuhcilin.org/2022/05/cc4all-and-report/
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.24812,-90.3999325,3a,89.4y,75.23h,91.23t/data=!
3m6!1e1!3m4!1siUuYXxfHfuGNWv7xjFcRdw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu
https://prospect.org/familycare/building-movements-around-the-care-economy/
https://smartasset.com/taxes/illinois-paycheck-calculator#:~:text=Illinois%20has%20a
%20flat%20income,the%20state%20income%20tax%2C%20though.&text=How
%20many%20allowances%20should%20you%20claim%3F
https://cleancoatcustompainting.com/cost-to-paint-a-10000-sq-ft-space/
www.lowes.com
http://www.childcraftbaby.com
http://www.willygoat.com
