For more than two years, Emporia Child Care Center III has dealt with flooding in its building at 420 W. 15th Ave. Earlier this month, flooding displaced children out of their classrooms for a week.
Deb Crowl, Emporia Child Care Center administrator, said when it floods, the classrooms can’t be used. Emporia Child Care Center has three buildings — Center I, Center II and Center III — all United Way agencies. Center III is an infant and toddler center, where children spend their days interacting and playing on the floor. Heavy rains overnight on Aug. 6 poured water into three classrooms, a hallway, the kitchen and conference room of Emporia Child Care Center III. There was about four inches of water combined with mud and debris. This flood marked the third in 2 1/2 years for the center.
Because of the health hazards to the children, the carpets have to be professionally cleaned and dehumidifiers have to be placed in the rooms. With children at young as 2 weeks old, air quality is critical, Crowl said.
“The teachers spend a majority of their day on the floor with the children,” Crowl said.
It’s not as simple as moving children to another room either, Crowl said.
State child care licensing regulations require every room the children spend time in to be licensed for that purpose. Each room also must have a minimum of 35 square foot of floor space per child, according to the physical plant section in Kansas’ regulations. When the primary classrooms flooded earlier this month, licensing gave the center permission to move some of the children to the conference room while the other rooms dried out and were cleaned. Children were cared for in that room for three days.
Outside the building, there is a row of sandbags to keep water out of the classrooms in case of another rain.
“It’s hard for the little children to get over,” Crowl said.
Outside, there is Astroturf the children play on. The turf had to be sanitized before the children could play on it to prevent mold from growing.
Center II, 2011 W. 12th Ave., has some problems as well. The center is awaiting a new roof. The roof is leaking in the boys and girls restrooms. Crowl said this problem is being addressed, it’s just a matter of the roofing materials arriving and the project getting started.
Center III, however, is located in a building owned by Lyon County. This week, county employees were at the center this week surveying the area to determine the problem and a possible solution. So far, the center’s board has gotten an estimate of $11,000 to replace the carpet in the flooded areas.
In a press release earlier this month, Lisa Kirmer, chair of the board of directors for Emporia Child Care, expressed concern over the condition of the carpeting in the center.
“The carpet at Center III desperately needs to be replaced,” Kirmer said. “No matter who or how it is cleaned, the allergens are still there. Another of our concerns is the walls. The water level went above four inches, which is above the base boards and could produce mold in the walls.”
trainrech (anonymous) says...
Where is the landlord (i.e. the County) in all of this? This is their problem and replacement of the carpet is only a band-aid on the real issue of water flow on the property.
August 24, 2008 at 7:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
slipandslide (anonymous) says...
When the parents are enrolling their kids into these programs are they aware the buildings have flooding problems or do they find out when it floods? i wouldnt enroll a toddler into a daycare that has flooding problems.
August 24, 2008 at 9:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )