Construction of the new 19,600 square-foot facility will begin in November, with the target opening set for August 2009.

Rainbow Riders has leased property on the Tech Corporate Research Center from the Virginia Tech Foundation. Rainbow Riders will receive $100,000 each year for five years from the Foundation.

"It's been a process that took an enormous amount of planning and involvement through all of the colleges in the university to allocate the money," said Rainbow Riders administrator Kristi Snyder of the private donations.

"Primarily the money is going to provide bonuses for our teachers that will be given at the end of the contract year, and we hope that will assist us in the recruitment and retention of our teaching staff, as well as assist us in training new staff," Snyder said. "It also helps to build up our scholarship program and to overall help sustain the project for more than five years."

Currently, there are over 4,000 children younger than five in Montgomery County and only 924 available spots in licensed daycare facilities, creating a huge demand for childcare. Rainbow Riders in Blacksburg provides care for 210 children ages six weeks to 12 years old.

"We know that the need in the community is enormous," Snyder said. "Our day-to-day applications to get on the waiting list has exceeded 1,000."

The new facility will provide for 246 children, which not only benefits the New River community, but the Tech community as well.

"Sixty percent of the slots will be reserved for children of Virginia Tech faculty, staff, and graduate students, and another 12 percent will be reserved for employees of the Corporate Research Center," said Cathy Jacobs, director of work life resources.

Professor of English and mother Erika Meitner is currently on the Rainbow Riders waiting list. Meitner said she would "definitely" feel more secure having her child closer to her.

"I'm thrilled that the town council and the planning board approved construction, and I'm hoping it will alleviate the current daycare crunch in Blacksburg, particularly among faculty with children," Meitner said.

While Tech faculty, staff and graduate students have an advantage in enrolling their children into the new Rainbow Riders, there will be "no discount" off of tuition, according to Jacobs.

"We try very hard to keep our tuition costs low for the families," Snyder said. "The cost varies depending on the age of the child. Currently for infants it is $625 per month, and the cost goes down as the child gets older."

In addition to helping working parents at Tech, Rainbow Riders is interested in hiring Tech graduates for teaching positions.

"We want the new teaching jobs to go primarily to graduates from Tech, Radford University, and New River Community College," Snyder said. "Although Tech doesn't have an early childhood education program, it would still be a beneficial job for graduates with degrees in Human Services."

Rainbow Riders was established in 1986 and has been accredited since 1989 by the National Association for the Education of Young Children Accreditation System. Their accreditation was updated in 2006 under NAEYC's improved criteria.

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