Great Plains supports new child-care facility with one-time ECE program

Great Plains College will be offering a one-time, part-time Early Childhood Education Level 1 program in Maple Creek this fall. The community is preparing to open a new child-care facility in January 2027. The tuition-free program will be offered between November 2026 and March 2027 and will prepare learners with an understanding of children’s development stages and the importance of play as a vehicle for learning. Great Plains Interim President Keleah Ostrander stated that the program’s return will “align with the expected surge in need for additional daycare staffing with the imminent opening of the Maple Creek Childcare Co-op.”