Kid City USA, a new child care center, recently opened in McCordsville. It is a welcomed addition as the lack of proper child care facilities has been an ongoing problem for the county.
Tom Russo | Daily Reporter
HANCOCK COUNTY — The so-called “day care desert” in Hancock County got some much-needed relief last week with the opening of a child care center in McCordsville.
A new Kid City USA center officially opened on Friday, July 28, and the owners think they’ll quickly fill to capacity.
“Everybody has said, ‘Oh my gosh, we needed this so badly,’” said Holly Thomas, who owns the center with her husband, Jimmy.
The couple, who live in Pittsboro, own seven Kids City USA franchise locations in Beech Grove, Florida and Tennessee, and are building two more on the southeast side of Indianapolis and Brownsburg.
They were prompted to open their latest location in McCordsville after learning about the need for more child care providers in the area.
“The town commissioners attended our open house (on Friday) and said they’re ready to have us build a second location in McCordsville because there’s such a need for it,” she said.
While the Thomas’ aren’t yet ready to open a second local center, they are happy with how well received their new center has been in the few short days since it’s been open.
“We’re enrolling new kids every day,” said Holly, which she attributes to the area’s rapid growth.
“The rapid growth has really made it to where there’s a little catch up (to be done) in the child care industry,” she said.
Nicole Boyette, director at Noah’s Ark Daycare in Greenfield, said there seems to be a need for more child care facilities throughout Hancock County.
“We operate at capacity and I have to turn people away, so I’d love for there to be more local options for families,” she said on Thursday as kids played at the daycare center she runs within Calvary Baptist Church.
Chelsea Isaac vividly remembers the panic she felt when she was temporarily unable to find suitable child care after removing her three children from an unreliable in-home child care provider five years ago.
“There was definitely that fear of the unknown. We called around and got on the waiting list for Noah’s Ark, and we only had to wait about a month until our kids could start,” said Isaac, but she knows wait lists can go much longer for some families these days.
“If you can get in somewhere there’s usually a waiting list, and then if you have multiple children there might be room for one kid to start but not the other kid. We know people who have had trouble getting all their kids into one place,” she said.
Holly Thomas said many parents have expressed their gratitude for having a new child care center open up in McCordsville.
“We’re super-excited to be able to provide this for the community,” said Thomas, whose new center can accommodate just over 100 kids, from infants through age 12.
She’s seen an especially big need for after-school care for school-age kids. “A lot of the after-school programs seem to fill up very fast,” she said.
Last week, families got the chance to tour the new Kid City USA center at 7409 N 600 W, just south of Broadway Street.
Finishing touches were added just last week to the 10,000-square-foot center, where staff were training to care for the expected onslaught of kids.
On Wednesday, Holly said the center — which can accommodate 132 children — was quickly climbing past 50% capacity just three days after opening.
“We’re enrolling daily,” she said.
“Kid City USA is a very family oriented franchise that gives compassion and care for each and every one of the children and their families,” said Thomas.
She’s also a big fan of the company’s curriculum, called Bee All You Can Bee, which focuses on instilling core values in kids.
QUALITY CARE
Boyette, the director at Noah’s Ark Daycare, said the center’s curriculum, teachers and staff are what make her center such a popular draw for families.
“Over the years, we’ve really strived to provide affordable and quality care, and I feel like we’ve been successful at it,” she said.
The center serves children from 3 years old through fourth grade, drawing mostly families from Greenfield, New Palestine and Knightstown.
“Generally we don’t lose families, so we’ll typically see all the children and a family, and they’ll stay with us until they graduate out,” said Boyette, who worked for Noah’s Ark while in college and was hired as a pre-K teacher in 2015.
Her mother, Jodie Fuller, served as director for 28 years before turning the job over to her daughter in August 2022.
“Most of our families are referred to us through word of mouth,” said Boyette. “Our reputation dictates our success.”
As new housing developments continue popping up and the community continues to grow, she said so too will the need for more daycare centers.
“There really is a need for more centers, especially church-based licensed centers,” said the director, pointing out the recent addition of a childcare learning center called Realife STEAM Academy at Realife Church in Greenfield.
“They are full and we are full, so there’s definitely a need out there,” she said.
Boyette advises any family seeking out child care options to do their homework and thoroughly research their options.
She suggests finding reputable providers through the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Office of Early Childhood and Out-of-School Learning, which oversees providers throughout the state.
“If you’re considering a provider that’s not licensed, I’d ask for at least three to four references and call every single one,” she said.
She also suggests scouring social media for advice, like the Hancock County Indiana Parents & Childcare Providers on Facebook, which aims to connect local families with local daycare providers.
Isaac said she knows first-hand that the research can be tiresome, but necessary.
“I’ve always told young parents that I think finding people who you trust with your kids is one of the hardest parts of parenting,” she said. “They’re your most important things, so you want to make sure they are well taken care of.”
