It’s an area that has seen tremendous growth, according to Dayton Children’s, adding that patient visits in these specialties have more more than doubled in the last five years.
“We are seeing more children than ever before, and we are seeing them more regularly,” Terry Weigel, director of rehab services at Dayton Children’s, said in a press release. “At the same time, new tools and techniques require more space to use and store. This new building will allow us to continue to provide the above and beyond Dayton Children’s experience for our families and kids.”
The site for the future facility is now a parking lot next to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Dayton, which provides living options for families of hospitalized children and just recently completed its own site redevelopment.
The new Dayton Children’s location for rehabilitative services will feature surface parking, outdoor space to aid in healing, and a single-level layout, which will make it easier for families to arrive, check in and get to appointments, according to Dayton Children’s.
The building will include better-designed therapy spaces to accommodate children living with autism. These features are important as many families have regular appointments with children who frequently have mobility or sensory challenges, according to Dayton Children’s.
“This investment reflects our commitment to helping children achieve their optimal health, including independence and quality of life,” Deborah Feldman, president and CEO of Dayton Children’s Hospital, said in a press release. “Rehabilitative services change lives, and this building will allow us to meet growing needs for years to come.”
Construction of the new building will begin in June. Dayton Children’s plans to share additional details, including timeline and design elements, as the project progresses.
Dayton Children’s continues to grow
Dayton Children’s is an independent, freestanding children’s hospital located in Dayton, serving more than 400,000 children each year across 20 counties in Ohio and eastern Indiana. The hospital has two campuses, Dayton and Springboro, and more than 15 care sites including facilities in Troy, Beavercreek and Kettering.
For Dayton Children’s 2025 fiscal year that ended June 30, 2025, its total operating revenue was $793.2 million, compared to operating expenses totaling $773.8 million, according to the hospital’s continuing disclosure with the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board.
The children’s hospital system has been rapidly expanding its footprint in Dayton and surrounding region with the last few years.
Most notably, Dayton Children’s completed and opened its $110 million Mathile Center for Mental Health and Wellness in June last year, doubling the amount of space Dayton Children’s had to treat children’s mental health in its own dedicated building.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
Also at that time, Dayton Children’s opened its latest outpatient care center in the Centerville and Washington Twp. area after first announcing the $11.8 million project in December 2023.
The new, two-story building is located at 5501 Far Hills Ave., just south of Rahn Road. It encompasses 26,540 square feet of space to provide specialized pediatric services.
In May, Dayton Children’s started construction on a new pediatric urgent care in West Dayton in an effort to widen its reach and connect with families in their neighborhood. The pediatric clinic, which received $13 million in public and private funding, will offer pediatric care services to the families in west Dayton, such as for on-demand care for acute illnesses, minor injuries and health care support. It is expected to open this year.
In October of last year, Dayton Children’s completed the first-of-its-kind kinship housing development in the Old North Dayton neighborhood. Vermillion Place, a 26-unit housing complex on Alaska and Rita streets, is a $13 million development geared toward families in which a child is raised by a relative such as a grandparent, aunt or uncle, or sibling because the child’s parents are unable to provide care.
In March 2023, Dayton Children’s opened a $78 million, five-story specialty care outpatient center attached to its main hospital off of Valley Street in Dayton.
Credit: marshall-gorby
Credit: marshall-gorby
Also on its main campus, Dayton Children’s opened its eight-story patient tower in June 2017. The state-of-the-art facility was the largest project in the hospital’s history, with a cost of about $260 million. The hospital also built a $16 million employee garage in 2019.
Dayton Children’s also opened the first part of a major expansion of its south campus in Springboro in October 2016.
The south campus at that time added a specialty care center, an ambulatory surgery center, urgent care and a 24/7 emergency department. The expansion cost $47.5 million.
Fast facts on rehabilitative services:
- Physical therapy: Focuses on improving gross motor skills, strength, balance, and coordination associated with movement disorders, developmental delays and injuries
- Occupational therapy: Focuses on improving fine motor skills, sensory processing, and emotional regulation to help children function independently in daily life, such as playing, learning, and self-care.
- Speech therapy: Focuses on challenges with speech, language, social communication, feeding, and swallowing to improve communication skills.
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