Renovations Begin at Sanborn Intergenerational Daycare

New partnership aims to solve childcare crisis and enrich seniors' lives

Apr. 3, 2026 at 2:20pm

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A bold, colorful silkscreen print featuring repeating images of children's building blocks and a nursing home resident's walker, capturing the intergenerational concept of the new Sunrise Express Daycare Center.The vibrant new Sunrise Express Daycare Center will bring together children and seniors in an innovative intergenerational model.Sanborn Today

A groundbreaking partnership in Sanborn, Iowa is creating the Sunrise Express Daycare Center, a first-of-its-kind intergenerational daycare that will allow children and residents at the Prairie View nursing home to interact daily. The project involves a collaboration between CMBA Architects, Kids Express Daycare, and Prairie View Home, and will renovate an existing memory care unit to expand childcare capacity in the area.

Why it matters

The new intergenerational daycare model is expected to help address a critical childcare shortage in the Sanborn area, while also enriching the lives of seniors at the Prairie View nursing home through daily interactions with the children.

The details

Kids Express Daycare, the only licensed childcare provider in the area, is currently facing an 18-month waiting list due to limited capacity at their small existing facility. By moving into a vacant memory care unit at Prairie View, the daycare will be able to expand and accommodate more children. The renovated space will be renamed the Sunrise Express Daycare Center. Organizers say the project is cost-effective and sustainable, as it repurposes an existing facility rather than building from scratch.

  • Construction on the new facility began on April 1, 2026.
  • The Sunrise Express Daycare Center is expected to open by September 1, 2026.

The players

Kids Express Daycare

The only licensed childcare provider in the Sanborn area, currently facing an 18-month waiting list due to limited capacity.

Prairie View Home

A nursing home in Sanborn that is collaborating with Kids Express Daycare and CMBA Architects to host the new intergenerational daycare facility.

CMBA Architects

The architecture firm collaborating on the Sunrise Express Daycare Center project.

Melissa Michels

The director of Kids Express Daycare, who is excited about the expansion and partnership.

Wendy Nelson

The administrator of Prairie View Home, who believes the intergenerational model will improve the experience for residents.

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What they’re saying

“The intergenerational model will allow children and residents at Prairie View to interact daily, and by renovating an existing space rather than building from scratch, organizers say the project is cost-effective and sustainable.”

— Wendy Nelson, Prairie View Administrator

What’s next

Once construction is complete, the Sunrise Express Daycare Center is expected to open its doors by September 1, 2026, providing much-needed childcare capacity and intergenerational programming for the Sanborn community.

The takeaway

The Sunrise Express Daycare Center represents an innovative solution to address both the childcare crisis and the need for enriching senior care in Sanborn. By repurposing existing infrastructure and fostering daily interactions between children and nursing home residents, this project demonstrates how creative partnerships can tackle complex community challenges.