Zion Baptist Church moves forward with plans to open daycare center | Winchester Starling

BERRYVILLE — The conversion of Zion Baptist Church’s special events building into a community child care center is well underway.

On a recent day, church members and volunteers installed landscaping around the building, which is located directly across from the church’s main building on Josephine Street. Others were inside, painting walls and doing interior renovations.

“It’s looking better,” church member Sheila Pannell said with a smile.

The church expects the center to open this fall. Members say this is necessary due to the lack of affordable day care options given the strong demand in the Berryville area.

Zion is a focal point of the Josephine City Historic District, founded by formerly enslaved people in the late 19th century. The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“It’s such a historic church,” Pannell said.

Pastor Karlyle Hill said he wants Zion Christian Academy to be a partnership with the community – not just Berryville and Clarke County, but also surrounding communities.

Lowe’s of Front Royal led the partnership. The hardware store donated many items including mulch, yard care tools, paint, front doors, doorknobs, floor repair materials and lamps.

Store manager Melinda Counts was among those painting the interior walls with a roller brush on a long pole. She said Lowe’s doesn’t want to be a “normal (chain) store” that’s primarily concerned with sales.

Rather, “we want to be part of the community and build a relationship with the community,” Counts said.

“We thank God for this partnership” with the store, Hill said.

Other local religious groups, including the Church of New Beginnings and Berryville Baptist Church, have provided support, he said. He hopes the community as a whole will also contribute.

Cash donations are accepted online through Zelle and Cash App. Additionally, the church can be contacted at [email protected].

“We (the daycare) will not survive without community involvement,” Hill said. “This is a wonderful opportunity for the community to come together.”

Last fall, the Berryville City Council granted Zion a special permit to operate the center.

Initial plans call for it to be open Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. and offer both before-school and after-school care. Meals are served to students and transportation services are available.

Security will be a major concern. The building will have locked doors that require security codes to unlock, and live cameras will be installed so parents can check on their children at all times, Hill said.

“We will do a lot for children,” he said, including taking them on field trips and visiting museums.

A playground is provided. Future plans, Hill said, include developing a full basketball court that can be converted for soccer, pickleball and tennis.

Pannell emphasized that Zion works with the Virginia Department of Education and the Department of Human Services to ensure “everything is done by the book,” such as certifying employees to provide child care.

Initially, up to 24 children will be accepted. The goal is to eventually increase the number to 50 — and perhaps 75 — as resources become available, Pannell said.

“We’re excited about the potential,” Pannell said.

“Most importantly, we want kids to come here and grow (socially and intellectually) and learn the Word of God,” Counts said.