North Bay Children’s Center nears opening of expanded Novato campus

Five years after construction began, the expanded North Bay Children’s Center in Novato is within months of opening.

The $12.5 million, 20,000-square-foot flagship site is expected to serve 175 children from infancy to age 4 before they head to kindergarten. Their parents, meanwhile, can continue working while their children are young, benefiting the local workforce.

“The center provides subsidies for approximately 80% of the families served through contacts funded by the California Department of Education and the California Department of Social Services,” said Susan Gilmore, the center’s founder and chief executive.

The center was founded in 1986. Including the expanded campus at 932 C St. in the Hamilton neighborhood, the nonprofit has 14 child care locations in Marin and Sonoma counties serving more than 700 children. Its waiting list includes about 800 children, Gilmore said.

Rotary Club volunteers and other members of the public plan to work at the Hamilton site Saturday to plant gardens, assemble outdoor furniture and perform other tasks. More volunteer work days are planned in the weeks ahead, Gilmore said.

“This campus is more than a building,” Gilmore said. “It’s a national model for how we nurture young children, support families and train tomorrow’s educators, while preparing for a changing climate.”

The center’s leaders hope to open the campus in August.

“I got involved with NBCC because I believe deeply in the importance of early child care in the workplace,” said Ralph O’Rear, a vice president at the center. “Parents need to know their kids are safe and well cared for so they can focus and be productive at work.”

“What we learn when we’re young stays with us for life,” he said. “It’s so important to teach kids healthy habits early on.”

Gilmore recruited O’Rear, a veteran in Marin facilities management, out of retirement to join the center on a part-time basis. The job rapidly expanded to full time and more, he said.

“I was impressed with the entire program, especially the Garden of Eatin’, which stood out to me as something truly special,” O’Rear said, referring to the center’s healthy nutrition program. “Getting involved with NBCC has been very meaningful, and it satisfied my wish of having a productive retirement.”

The new center, designed by architect Chris Dorman of Dorman Associates, will include administrative offices, 10 classrooms, a kitchen, baby changing stations, family gathering spots, space to train teachers and other features. Outdoors, the center has sand play and turf play areas, a stage and amphitheater section, a mud play space, a kitchen and a greenhouse.

“Given what we know about how rapidly a young child’s brain develops, we must use that time to prepare children for school and provide them with a strong foundation that will ultimately lead to their success in life,” said Mary Jane Burke, the former Marin County superintendent of schools.

Raising money to build the center has been enormously challenging, despite significant contributions from the community, Gilmore said. The center is still $1 million short. Novato has offered a $2 million loan.

“Investment in preschool is an investment in our future workforce,” said Cynthia Murray, a former county supervisor and president of the North Bay Leadership Council. “Healthy children, healthy families, a healthy economy — a triple bottom line for our communities.”

Prior to the new construction, the North Bay Children’s Center operated in portable classrooms on the approximately 1.5-acre site that it acquired from the former Hamilton air base. During construction, the portables were moved to an adjacent site where 85 children are still attending classes.

By mid-August, when the 2025-26 school year starts, Gilmore hopes to move all the children into the new center so the Novato Unified School District can hold special education classes in some of the portables. The special education students will be invited to be part of the new center and enjoy many of its amenities, Gilmore said.

Information is online at nbcc.net.