St. David’s Center Will Renew State Bond Funds Request in 2014

St. David’s Center for Child & Family Development announced today that despite the Governor’s early endorsement and strong legislative support this year, the organization will need to return to the Capitol next year to renew its request for $3.75 million in state bond funds. The Legislature did not agree to a general bonding bill this year.

The request for state funds is to support its Building Our Children’s Future capital campaign to create an early education, early intervention, treatment and training center that will meet a growing need for high-quality services for children with a broad range of developmental needs.

St. David’s Center serves thousands of children every day in Minnetonka and throughout the Twin Cities. The renovation and expansion project, scheduled to be completed in 2014, will provide up to 100 construction jobs and 30 new direct service positions immediately as a result of increased capacity. The Center also is a training ground for dozens of graduate students and professionals who then practice in communities throughout the state.

“We are tremendously grateful to the Capital Investment Committee Chairs, Representative Alice Hausman (DFL- St. Paul) and Senator LeRoy Stumpf (DFL- Plummer), for seeing the importance of this project and its value to the state of Minnesota,” explained Julie Sjordal, Executive Director, St. David’s Center, “and for their leadership in seeing it through to the final global bonding bill.”

“The chief authors of our bonding request, Senator Terri Bonoff (DFL-Minnetonka) and Representative John Benson (DFL-Minnetonka), championed our capital project. As a result, many of their colleagues in the legislature recognize the need to expand our facility, meet escalating needs in the community and expand the state’s access to a well-trained early childhood clinical workforce.”

“As an educator, I see tremendous long-term value in the state’s investment in St. David’s Center,” said Representative Benson. “Early intervention is a critical priority in our community, particularly for families that are most at-risk."

“This gem of an organization so capably meets the needs of children of all abilities in our community – including children on the autism spectrum and children with early childhood mental health needs – preparing them for success in school, in their families and in life,” added Senator Bonoff. “When the U.S. Surgeon General reports that nearly one in 10 children suffers from a diagnosable mental health issue, yet only 20 percent are identified and receive treatment, the need for St. David’s Center’s services becomes even more urgent.”

“The successes we achieved in a non-traditional bonding year are not to be dismissed. We intend to nurture the relationships we’ve forged and return next year with a renewed bond funding request. Our resolve could not be stronger: St. David’s Center must increase its capacity to meet the critical early intervention needs of young children and their families,” said Sjordal.

The Building Our Children’s Future renovation project is designed to align the Center with the services it provides, including the Autism Day Treatment Wing, Pediatric Rehabilitative Therapy Clinic, Children’s Mental Clinic and Early Childhood Education Center.