Shawnee Mission Health announced plans on Tuesday to create a new home for its Lee Ann Britain Infant Development Center at its 75th Street and Antioch campus.
With a lead gift from Doug and Nan Smith, the hospital’s foundation plans to build a new facility for the center, which provides children with special needs with access to therapeutic treatment opportunities and early education programming. The Smiths’ gift kicks off a fundraising campaign with the goal of raising $15 million for the new building, which will be called the B.E. Smith Children’s Center. The program will retain its name of the Lee Ann Britain Infant Development Center.
The Britain Center has served more than 4,000 children since being founded in 1972. But as the program as grown and attracted more demand, its facilities have become cramped and outdated. The new facility will provide modern space for the center’s physical, occupational and music therapists, speech language pathologists, early childhood special education teachers, behavior analysts, social workers and paraprofessionals.
No timeline has been released on a potential groundbreaking date for the new building.