Fort Bragg Breaks Ground on $29M Child Care Center to Help Clear 1,000-Family Waitlist
Fort Bragg held a groundbreaking ceremony for a center that will address the waitlisted military families waiting for child care services.
Progress has started on a $29 million facility at Fort Bragg that will serve 338 kids by 2027. Officials marked the start with a ceremony on September 12, 2025.
The project aims to cut down a massive backlog of military parents seeking spots at base facilities. "I cannot begin to formulate the words to express how important this day is," said Margaret Lilly, chief of Child and Youth Services for Fort Bragg, per CityView. "It's been a long time coming. It is well overdue."
The lack of spots hits service members hard. Sgt. 1st Class Angela Powell spent weeks searching, while still being required to work, before finding care for her daughter.
U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson pushed for federal money to fund the project. He points out that it will meet about half the current demand. "When you think about that soldier, an experienced soldier that we spent a lot of money training and who is having to decide whether they're going to re-enlist or not, that's a family decision," Hudson said to CityView.
This work starts as North Carolina grapples with wider child care challenges. Cumberland County lost six centers since federal aid dried up in March 2025. Gov. Josh Stein launched a special group in July to tackle these issues across the state.
According to ABC 11, The center will be designed to accommodate 388 children. Workers will build the center in the space between Rhine Road and Normandy Drive, and doors will open at 5:30 a.m. and close at 6 p.m.
More centers may come as officials study extra ways to help parents find care. The new building should welcome its first kids between late 2026 and early 2027.
