Celebrating Our Members: The Caddo Nation Child Care Center: A Vision of Cultural Continuity and Community Care

In 2025, the Caddo Nation celebrated the completion of a long-envisioned project: a new, culturally rooted Child Care Center designed to serve Caddo children and families for generations to come. More than a facility, the center stands as a powerful expression of Tribal sovereignty, intergenerational connection, and a deep commitment to the whole health of Native children.

As one of the first new construction projects for the Caddo Nation in decades, the 12,250-square-foot center responds directly to years of unmet need. With a persistent 90-child waitlist and limited local economic opportunities, many families had been forced to seek care elsewhere. This new facility—serving 82 toddlers and young children—creates a safe, nurturing space where children can learn, grow, and remain rooted in their community.

Designed Around Children, Families, and Culture

The building is thoughtfully organized into three program-specific wings—Learn, Move, and Care—that frame a central courtyard. This family-first layout supports accessibility, visibility, and connection. Classrooms, a library, quiet reading nooks, indoor play areas, and restorative spaces are arranged to promote both independence and collective care.

Wide interior hallways offer visual and physical connections to nature, reinforcing a sense of safety and belonging. Child-scaled windows and lake-facing views bring the outdoors into daily learning. Outdoor classrooms, playgrounds, and walking trails extend education beyond the walls—encouraging exploration and grounding children in the land.

Every architectural detail uplifts Caddo heritage. The cedar shake façade echoes traditional thatched forms, while the interior reflects Caddo and Great Plains vernacular through regionally specific materials, motifs, and collaborations with Native artists and makers. Exposed wood and laminated timber structures create warmth and cultural familiarity throughout the space.

Intergenerational and Community-Centered

This center was intentionally designed for intergenerational use. Shared spaces—including a

library, pool, gym, gathering areas, and outdoor classrooms—invite the presence of families, elders, and community members. Native plantings across the 73-acre site support ethnobotanical teachings, ensuring that cultural knowledge and lifeways continue to be passed down.

The grounds include three playgrounds, pedestrian pathways, native landscaping, and a central courtyard that connects to forests and a nearby pond—honoring the Tribe’s relationship with the land and reinforcing daily cultural immersion.

Climate-Conscious and Sovereignty-Driven

The Child Care Center embodies the Caddo Nation’s commitment to environmental stewardship. Designed to meet Architecture 2030 Challenge standards, the building achieves an Energy Use Intensity (EUI) target of 26—more than 70% below the regional average. Solar panels generate over 90% of its energy needs, supported by passive design strategies, efficient systems, and on-site rainwater harvesting.

Equally significant, the center is the first project constructed by Arrowood Kakinah Enterprise, a tribally owned construction company. By building internal capacity and keeping investment local, the Caddo Nation advances economic sovereignty, workforce development, and community wealth

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A Model of Participatory Design

The center was shaped through a participatory design process led by MASS Design Group in close collaboration with Tribal leadership, language and culture bearers, child care staff, and even children themselves. Workshops and storytelling sessions ensured the design reflected both the current realities and future aspirations of the Caddo people.

The result is not simply a building—it is a declaration.

A Declaration of Resilience and Self-Determination

Across Indian Country, Tribal child care programs continue to respond to systemic underinvestment with innovation, courage, and cultural strength. The Caddo Nation Child Care Center stands as a powerful example of what is possible when Tribes lead development rooted in their own values, language, and vision.

Completed in 2025, the center represents resilience, cultural pride, and self-determination. Through bold leadership and collective action, the Caddo Nation is investing in its children, its culture, and its land—laying the foundation for a stronger, more sovereign future.

At NICCA, we celebrate this achievement and honor the Caddo Nation’s leadership. Their vision reflects what we know to be true across Tribal communities: when we invest in our children in culturally grounded ways, we invest in the future of our Nations.