ChildServe’s Des Moines location on Woodland Avenue will be relocated to a new site near the corner of 48th Street and Franklin Avenue that will more than double the square footage of the current space, the specialty pediatric health care provider announced Friday. The location is pending final approval from the city of Des Moines, according to a news release.

In 2022, a vacant medical building on the site was razed after it was acquired by Neighborhood Development Corp. ChildServe will build a new facility on the site, a spokesperson said in an email.

To support the expansion, ChildServe also launched in October a $10 million capital campaign titled “Growing Together: The Des Moines Campaign.” Tom Mahoney, ChildServe board member and past president and ITA Group board chairman, is chairing the campaign. For more information, click here.

ChildServe CEO Dr. Teri Wahlig said the organization has “simply outgrown” its current facility.

“Our current waitlists for our signature programs continue to grow, so we know now is the right time to invest in the future for Iowa children and families,” Wahlig said in a prepared statement.

Capacity for current services, including medical child care, its autism day program and rehabilitation therapy services, will increase tenfold at the new location, the release said.

The 20,000 square-foot facility will also include an added neurobehavioral clinic. It will focus on the population of children with special health care needs who have a co-occurring behavioral health need, such as anxiety, ADHD, autism, brain injury, developmental delay or obsessive compulsive disorder.

The expansion is part of ChildServe’s larger regional growth strategy, which includes enhancing its main campuses in Ames, Des Moines, Iowa City and Johnston. The expanded Ames location opened in September 2023 and Iowa City’s renovated space is planned to open this spring. The Johnston campus will remain the organization’s headquarters, the release said.