HOLDREGE, Neb. — A former college space at the Phelps County Ag Center will soon be home to a new childcare facility as community partners work together to address local childcare needs and improve safety.

The Kiddie Cove Family Childcare Center, owned and operated by Kendra Yanez, is tentatively set to open March 2026 in the space previously occupied by Central Community College. The college vacated the location after relocating to its new downtown Holdrege facility.

The new center will provide care for up to 38 children, ranging from infants to school-age youth.

Yanez currently operates an in-home daycare and says expanding into a larger center allows her to serve more families while maintaining a family-focused approach to childcare.

The Holdrege Area Early Childhood Partnership helped connect the Ag Society with local childcare needs and supported the effort to repurpose the facility.

“I want to build relationships with families first,” said Yanez. “We want to be a family-based center — a place where parents can take their kids and not worry about them all day.”

Yanez says construction is underway to renovate the former college space into a modern childcare center.

Planned upgrades include new bathrooms, a laundry area, and other required improvements, along with a fenced outdoor playground.

To prepare for the expansion, Yanez has completed business management and workforce environment training and has worked closely with the Holdrege Area Early Childhood Partnership.

In support of the new childcare operation, and to improve safety for all events held at the facility, the Phelps County Ag Society is upgrading the fire alarm system throughout the entire Ag Center.

The project is funded by a $45,000 grant from the Phelps Memorial Hospital Foundation and $50,000 in county funds.

Demand for childcare in the community remains high. Yanez says all infant spots at the new center are already filled, though openings remain for children 18 months to 12 years.

Yanez says her childcare philosophy focuses on learning through play and creating an environment where children feel safe, supported, and engaged.

“We are a family-based center,” said Yanez. “We want parents to know their kids are cared for, learning, and happy.”