Since opening in 1995, ChildServe in Ames, Iowa, has been a cornerstone for families raising children with special healthcare needs. The newly expanded facility, developed in collaboration with RDG Planning & Design, offers healing spaces where children can joyfully work toward developmental milestones.

This expansion addresses several critical needs, including additional space to serve more than 200 children currently on the outpatient therapy waitlist as the organization continues to hire more clinicians. Designed with both patients and caregivers in mind, the rooms are warm, welcoming, and modular, allowing for maximum flexibility across services. The expansion also includes a dedicated space for the Autism Program, offering a seamless floor plan that supports smooth transitions between individual and group therapies, classroom activities, and play. The Georges Niang Therapy Gym is equipped with all therapists may need but with play in mind. This versatile space provides an environment where children from various services can work toward their goals, all through the act of play.

ChildServe’s 10-year plan envisions the Ames location becoming a central hub, supporting satellite services across Iowa. The facility’s design reflects ChildServe’s playful and welcoming brand, with specialized spaces for speech, occupational, and physical therapy. Enhancements include a new main entry and welcome center for therapy services, expanded autism day program areas, and additional behavioral health spaces. The organization’s administrative offices have been centralized within this facility, with efficiencies in design that reduce the square footage needed for back-of-house operations. The result is a vibrant Iowa hub poised to serve the specialized care needs of children and families for years to come.

Design: RDG Planning & Design
Civil Engineer: Strand Associates
MEP: Baker Group
Contractor: Story Construction
Photography: Jacob Sharp Photo