Update on child care at Wake Forest

October 20, 2022

This message is shared on behalf of Executive Vice President Hof Milam and Provost Michele Gillespie.

This past March, we shared an update on the status of the child care feasibility analysis for Wake Forest University. The work was reinvigorated this year, following a pause in 2020 while the university navigated the uncertainties of the pandemic.

Since this announcement, we have explored the feasibility of several promising opportunities to increase access to high-quality child care and early education for our community. Analyses included the possibility of partnering with another institution to expand the availability of care, with prioritized status for the Wake Forest community, as well as a direct partnership with a recommended provider. Over the course of more than six months of exploration, neither path led to a solution that would meet the needs of our community.

To accelerate our progress on this vital university priority, we have re-engaged a consultant from the University’s 2019-20 feasibility study, led by WFD Consulting. We developed and issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) to establish a third-party-operated child care center on or near the Reynolda Campus. We look forward to evaluating those proposals this fall with input from the Child Care Advisory Group. The University Space Planning Group is also evaluating potential sites on or near the Reynolda Campus for a facility.

We thank you for your ongoing support and advocacy and look forward to sharing updates on the feasibility of this project moving forward to meet the critical demand for high-quality child care and early education for our community.