Former NC Governor Jim Hunt & his wife, Carolyn, celebrate the announcement of the building of a child care resource center in their names.

On Tuesday, January 16th at a special event at the Durham Hilton, Child Care Services Association and Jim & Carolyn Hunt officially announced the building of the Jim & Carolyn Hunt Child Care Resource Center in Durham.  In a community campaign served by honorary campaign chairs Gov. Jim Hunt, Jim Goodmon and Chancellor James Ammons, the leadership of Child Care Services Association has made the commitment to catalyze the Triangle community and provide the framework to raise funds to support building the Center. The campaign cabinet co-chairs leading the campaign are Ms. MaryAnn Black, Associate Vice President for Community Affairs, Duke University Health Systems, Mr. Scott Gardner, Duke Power and Ms. Ellen Reckhow, Chairperson Durham County Commissioners. A successful community campaign effort that generates $3.5 million will allow the building to open and operate debt-free.

As a role model for other corporations and businesses in the Triangle, Capitol Broadcasting CEO Jim Goodmon also made a surprise challenge gift to the community campaign.  Goodmon announced that Capitol Broadcasting Company would contribute $1 for every $2 raised, up to $200,000, to build the Center.  “Capitol Broadcasting Company is supporting this effort because we believe child care is a critical part of our Region's infrastructure... like schools, roads and housing," Goodmon stated.

The Jim & Carolyn Hunt Child Care Resource Center will be a centralized home for child care – a permanent structure and community hub so that Child Care Services Association can better provide for the early care and education of the Triangle’s children.  The Center will be a national model for child care services, advocacy and collaboration – all under one roof.

The Jim & Carolyn Hunt Child Care Resource Center will be home to key Child Care Services Association programs and services for the whole Triangle, including a kitchen facility capable of serving over 1,000,000 nutritious meals to children in Wake, Durham and Orange counties each year. In addition two affiliate child care agencies – Durham’s Partnership for Children (Smart Start and More at Four) and Durham’s Alliance for Child Care Access (providing families subsidy funding) will have their offices in this location. This centralization of services will be a community prototype and serve as a model for efficient expansion and coordination of services and increased collaboration and sharing of information.  For more information, log onto www.childcareservices.org.