On Prospect Avenue, one building is quietly rewriting what progress looks like. Inside KD Academy, children arrive at all hours so their parents can work hospital shifts, drive buses, stock warehouses, and keep the city moving. Soon, those same families will find support for their parents and loved ones in the very same place.
KD Academy’s journey is also part of a larger story unfolding in the Third District — one made possible by the Central City Economic Development (CCED) Sales Tax Program, which invests in community-led projects that fill essential gaps in daily life.
KD Academy: A Working Family’s Anchor
KD Academy began as a simple idea with powerful consequences: a reliable home for kids that allowed working parents to remain in the workforce. Very quickly, McCant realized he was building more than a childcare center — he was building workforce infrastructure, the kind of social backbone that keeps households stable and employers staffed.
“We have exceeded our expectations,” McCant says, reflecting on the growth since 2020. “What we originally conceptualized has magnified four times. Credit goes to our culture and our staff — they made it possible.”
From Childcare to Ageless Adventures
The next chapter grew out of life at home. McCant and his wife both served as caregivers for aging parents, juggling pharmacies, specialists, and daily needs while searching for reliable respite options.
“What we found was long waiting lists, and places that did not meet our standards,” McCant recalls. “We started asking what it would look like to build something better.”
Ageless Adventures will offer occupational therapy, social engagement, on- and off-campus activities, and nutritious meals for adults beginning at age eighteen. The vision is intentionally intergenerational — children on one side of the campus, adults on the other — a place, McCant says, “where wisdom meets wonder.”
An Intergenerational Model for the East Side
What motivates McCant is simple: meeting community needs close to home.
“This could have been established anywhere in Kansas City,” he says. “We are purpose-driven, and we want to provide services where they are needed most. The East Side is near and dear to my heart.”
The impact shows up in jobs as well. Ageless Adventures will employ six to eight staff members, expand opportunities for residents, and help strengthen the workforce pipeline on the East Side. Projects like these don’t just meet care needs — they keep dollars circulating locally and build stability for families and nearby businesses.
KD Academy has also helped shift the narrative of Prospect Avenue. McCant laughs when he tells the story: “People hear our address, and there’s always a pause. We say, ‘See it.’ Once they walk through the doors, the old narrative is over. The next question is, ‘Do you have a spot?’”
A Model that Advances CCED’s Mission
Taken together, KD Academy and Ageless Adventures reflect exactly the kind of neighborhood-centered development the CCED Sales Tax Program was created to support. McCant says childcare and elder care help contribute to CCED’s focus on economic development in the community by strengthening the community’s workforce infrastructure.
When families can rely on safe, consistent care:
- parents stay employed
- adult children caring for elders can remain in the workforce
- new jobs are created within the care sector
- dollars earned in the neighborhood stay in the neighborhood
“Families can go about their day, go to work, and be productive employees,” he says.
While McCant’s businesses advance CCED’s mission, the Sales Tax District’s role has been transformative for him.
“Without it, we probably would not be here at this capacity. It has been the lifeline for developments across the Third District. I am hopeful that when it is time to renew, the city and our community see the same value we did.”
“To anyone who pays that sales tax, look at the outcomes,” McCant says. “There has been significant economic development as a result. Focus on what has happened for real people.”
What Success Looks Like
KD Academy and Ageless Adventures stand as examples of what public investment can seed when paired with committed local leadership.
However, “success,” for McCant, is rooted in gratitude.
“To the founders and to every voter, thank you. Your hard work and dedication created a momentous opportunity for economic development in Kansas City. Without it, we would not be here.”