Freedom for Youth Children’s Center: More Space for the Children of our Neighborhood

Freedom for Youth Ministries has served our Des Moines neighbors for 20 years, providing after-school and summer programs for K-12 students and employment training for young adults.

The new Freedom for Youth Children’s Center will more than double our student capacity - from 125 students per week to nearly 500 students per week - and expand our program to meet the needs of preschoolers and their families in our central Des Moines neighborhood.

We’ve always looked for God’s timing on this project. The land on which the Children’s Center is to be built—once the site of a crime-ridden tavern—was acquired with the help of a church partner in 2016, and the construction budget was $2 million. Fundraising continued over the next six years.

Our board of directors heard God’s call and broke ground on the 7,600-square-foot facility in July 2023. Changes required by the city, changes to meet changing Ministry needs, and inflation grew the budget to $3 million.

Estes Construction, our general contractor, worked with sub-contractors and suppliers to earn commitments to discounted services and supplies. We’ve also received donations of approximately $1 million toward this life-changing project.

Unexpected warm December and late January days allowed crews to preparing the site, to pour footings, parking lot, and slab floor; erect the sidewalls; and add the roof.

What’s Next?

God answered prayers with a handful of generous partners who miraculously stepped up in our time of need to fully fund Phase 1 of the Children’s Center. The building is now sealed from the weather and the HVAC has been installed. Although we rejoice for God’s faithful provision, we also look ahead to Phase 2, and ask you to join us in fervent prayer for the final $900,000 to complete the project. The opening of the Children’s Center will allow us to eliminate our after-school and summer waiting lists and enable us to have capacity to serve nearly 500 youth every week at our Hickman Road location.  

A special thanks to our general contractor, Estes Construction, who has enthusiastically led the way on this project from day one.  

If you feel called to support the project, donate online here, and select CHILDREN’S CENTER when asked to designate your donation. If you have questions about the project, contact Brian Patterson, Executive Director, by email at bpatterson@freedomforyouth.org or by phone at 515-282-4822, ext. 1042