Children are Heroes Learning Center to open in Richardson in late April

A child care center has been approved to come to Richardson near Arapaho Road and Hampshire Lane.

The Children are Heroes Learning Center will be located at 1006 Hampshire Lane in what was previously Richardson Learning Center and DayCare. After acquiring the property last September, owner Valerie McGhee said she plans to open the business by the end of April.

“We will create jobs in the community as well as provide services to allow parents to return back into the workforce,” McGhee said. “While times are changing, one thing remains the same, and that is quality for our children. We plan on providing child care from a parent's perspective and to provide a new environment for each child to thrive.”

A special permit to approve the center was approved 6-0 by City Council during its Feb. 28 meeting. As part of the permit application, McGhee said she plans to construct the outside pavement space into a 2,300-square-foot concrete playground. The center will also include a 800-square-foot grass playground and white fencing around the playground to match the Velvet Snout Dog Daycare next door.

According to the details of the special permit, the center will be limited to a maximum enrollment of 80 kids. Additionally, an agreement has been reached with neighbor Crossbar Soccer + Beer, located at 1000 Hampshire Lane, to share parking and a dumpster. This agreement must be executed prior to the issuance of a certificate of occupancy.

One area for concern cited by the board was parking in the establishment, as the site would only have eight parking spots designated for parent drop-off. McGhee said the center plans to use a contactless drop-off system with staff, which should make parking easier and reduce the potential spread of disease. Parking will also be supplanted by the agreement with Crossbar.

After gaining the special permit, McGhee said she will now acquire a building permit for the property from the city.