Dissolution FAQ

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1. Why aren’t we building the park?

 

Rising costs and growing municipal requirements have proven greater than the small, all volunteer team at The Playful Child are able to tackle.  What started as a project with a total cost estimate of $500K to $1 million to complete, had become a multi million dollar estimate for phase 1 of the project which would also require paid staff and years of Capital Campaign level fundraising.The Playful Child funded and developed full construction documents for the Kade Damian Healing Hearts Park. These plans are being gifted to The City of Georgetown.   If funds become available in the future, or the park becomes a municipal priority in the parks master plan, we hope the plans can be utilized to build a park in the future. 

 

  2. What will happen with the funds that have been raised?

 

The Playful Child has created a plan to create a widespread and long lasting impact through the gift of remaining funds in the Central Texas area.  

 

The Playful Child plans to make a large donation to Pease Park Conservancy in Austin, TX. The Playful Child chose this park because there are so many parallels to what our vision was for KDHHP, in terms of play, beauty and community. We felt it was important to direct dollars to an existing park where the spirit of this effort could be celebrated. Pease Park will in return name the Splash Pad/Water Feature in memory of Kade and The Playful Child.  They also will engrave the names of children with donating families on the ribbon wall at the park.  There will be a ceremony to honor this gift at a future date TBA. 

 

Christ Lutheran Learning Center in Georgetown, TX, will receive funds to design and install a new playspace at their childcare center. CLLC and church serve both faith based and secular families through the day care and preschool program.  This is where Kade attended preschool while living in Georgetown, TX, and the center serves many families in the area looking for both part time and full time care during the school year and summer.  CLLC’s new playspace will be accessible to the public outside of program hours.

 

Continuing education grants will be awarded to childcare centers in the Central Texas area that are committed to elevating the level of care they provide while focusing on nature-based play  and education.  Teachers and staff will receive training from nature play experts in the value and importance of nature play for children and then be able to implement this knowledge into their curriculum.  

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  3. What will happen with the future park site at 1306 Country Club Drive?

 

At this time the City of Georgetown has no plans for the property, however, the Kade Damian Healing Hearts Park was listed in the 10 year Parks & Rec Master Plan as a priority, albeit with The Playful Child responsible for park funding. The land is owned by the Parks and Recreation Department so at some point in the future, it is anticipated that a park will be built. 

 

  4. How will Kade and other children be honored now?

 

The Playful Child website now features tributes to each of the children whose families donated to receive a permanent memorial at the park.  These families will also have their child's name(s) engraved in the stone ribbon wall at Pease Park in Austin, TX.

 

  5. What will the legacy of the Playful Child be?  How will the Playful Child fulfill its mission without building the park?

 

 

The Playful Child’s mission is to nurture the mental and physical health of children & families by cultivating the healing value of unstructured play in our community.  Through the donations to Pease Park Conservancy, Christ Lutheran Learning Center, and continuing education nature play grants for early childhood educators; The Playful Child will impact the lives of children and families here and now as well as into the future. Our team was very intentional in our proposed distribution of funds so that they could have the widest impact within our community and the surrounding area. By contributing to an existing space, a future space, and hands-on training that all align with The Playful Child mission, we have worked to positively impact the largest number of children and families in our area possible through a long lasting legacy of healthy growth and development through play!