Donation brings ‘new life’ to Platteville child care project slated for 2026 opening

Plans for a major childcare center in Platteville are gathering momentum following a significant donation to the project. Southwest Health recently announced that the hospital has received a $1 million donation from the Kaiser Family Foundation Corp. to support the construction of a planned childcare center on Southwest Health’s property. The facility has been in the works for about four years, but funding shortfalls have stalled the project, according to Southwest Health CEO Dan Rohrbach. Now, he said, design and development work is underway. Plans call for the roughly 12,000-square-foot center to be constructed next to the hospital. It will have space for up to 140 children, with an emphasis on infant slots, and will be open to both Southwest Health employees and the wider community. Officials aim to break ground later this year and open the facility ahead of the 2026-2027 school year.