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This town is big enough for a second Bear's Den.

The NCH Healthcare System is considering revamping its infant-care center at Naples Community Hospital to handle older children, and to have more openings for children of employees and possibly non-employees.

If the expansion is given the blessing of two committees and the NCH board of trustees, the goal is to have the construction project finished between February and April next year, said Brian Settle, vice president of human resources.

In that event, the name of the infant-care center will change to Bear's Den, the same name as the child-care center behind North Collier Hospital in North Naples.

"We have schematic plans," Settle said. "We will take it to our human resources committee, our finance committee and then the full board. We are hopeful it will get the green light."

The infant-care center at the downtown hospital can accommodate 25 infants up to 24 months old, said Renee Thigpen, director of human resources. What's proposed is expanding to handle 85 children, from infants through prekindergarten, she said. That would be the same as the Bear's Den near North Collier.

Anthony Souffle / Daily News

Marvin Martirez, 7 months, gazes out the window of the infant room at the Naples Community Hospital Infant Daycare Center on Friday. The hospital is looking to expand its infant-care center from 25 slots for infants up to 24 months to 85 slots for infants up to pre-K.

Having internal child-care facilities has been a boost to NCH for its recruiting and retention of employees who receive a discount rate against the fee, Settle said. When there are openings for children from the community, the parents pay the going rate in Collier County.

"We're not here to make a profit," he said. "Our intent is to break even."

The first priority for placement are NCH employees, second comes the medical staff and third are children from the community.

"We are filled," Thigpen said. "We have over a year's waiting list."

About 20 children at the Bear's Den near North Collier are from the community and about half of the infants or toddlers at the center at Naples Community are from the community, she said.

The center downtown is on the first floor of the Telford Center, occupying 1,600 square feet. The planned larger center would be 4,000 square feet. Settle did not have a cost estimate.

The hours are 6:30 a.m. to 7:45 p.m. during the week but expanding to weekend hours may be considered if the larger center is approved by the NCH board.

The infant center at the downtown hospital opened in 1989.