WOOD RIVER, Neb. — Wood River's new Stick Creek Kids Child Development Center received a total of $550,000 through grants from partnerships to help renovate their new facility.

The old nursing home in Wood River was emptied after fear of flood damage. Since then, the building has been vacated. Stick Creeks Kids Child Development Center needed a home, now they're well in their way to saying home, sweet, home."This has been a journey," Sara Arnett said.It all started in January 2018, when Chelsie Doane expressed the idea of having a child care center in Wood River.

"I found it very difficult to find a child care here in town," Chelsie Doane said.

Others like Arnett joined Doane in making the child care center a reality, eventually, the building was sold to Stick Creek Kids by Good Sam Society.

"We needed everybody's help to help us get to the finish line," said Arnett.

As of November 24, the Stick Creek Kids received grants through partnerships to help them cross that finish line.

"All of those funds go to the capital campaign to renovate this building," said Arnett.Doane said because of the community they were able to get the funds. She said the child care will be a benefit back to the community.

"When this first started it was grown out of a need for day care, child care in the community and it's really evolved and blossomed into a child care center," said Doane.

"It's very real and a great need and we're excited to be able to deliver this for central Nebraska," said Arnett.

Armett said an opening date isn't official but renovations will begin in January.