Child Care Facility Coming
Child Care is one of the biggest concerns of families in Florence. Facilities, caregivers and other resources are well below the need. Costs for childcare can well exceed $1500 per month per child in most cases. The Florence Area Chamber of Commerce has been a champion for more affordable child care and more facilities. One of the most recent efforts by a combined effort of the City of Florence and partners has been the Elm Park Early Learning Center. Adrian Pollut is part of a board that will be facilitating the operations of the facility once construction is completed in fall of 2026.
“It’s gonna be a 5000 square foot center with 4 classrooms, each about 900 square feet, with restrooms for kids and adults, kitchens, administrative areas, storage spaces all of that stuff plus a 2000 square foot outdoor play area.”
Pollut says the new facility will add about 50% more childcare opportunities for the community. The licensed facility will be looking for people to fill the teaching and aid positions. Another board member, Connie Ford says they are looking for individuals that want to be part of the childcare workforce.
“They can at the beginning as an aid with some really basic certification and a background check and CPR and earn work experience hours up the chain of command up to a teacher level.”
The Elm Hill apartments are currently under construction with groundbreaking for the child care facility expected to come later this fall. They say the hope is to be open in late 2026.
Food Drive Numbers
The 16th Annual REALTORS® Food Drive brought in 724 pounds of food and more than one-thousand dollars for Florence Food Share. The drive was supported by Bi-Mart and the Oregon Coast Board of REALTORS®, giving a big boost to local families in need. Organizers say the need for donations continues, and encourage the community to consider giving food, funds, or volunteer time this fall. Florence Food Share is open weekdays and select evenings and Saturdays at 2190 Spruce Street. More details are online at florencefoodshare.org.
101 Reopens To One Lane
U.S. 101 has reopened south of Bandon after being closed nearly 40 hours for emergency culvert replacement near Bearhead Mountain Lane. The new 11-foot pipe replaces a 24-inch culvert that failed during last December’s storms. Traffic will be reduced to one lane for the next two to three weeks while crews pave and stripe the $1.25 million project, with delays under 20 minutes. ODOT says the rapid replacement approach shortened the schedule from six months to six weeks, saving time and taxpayer dollars. Work is expected to be complete by mid-October.
