Quality childcare goes hand in hand with rural Kansas communities’ ability to draw in and maintain both their population and workforce. Without it, individuals can face difficulties working outside of the home, and businesses and companies can face difficulties filling open positions.
Bright Beginnings Development Center is a soon-to-open location in Smith Center that will work to fulfill this need of quality, trustworthy childcare in the Smith County community of approximately 1,500 residents.
The childcare center will be located in the building previously known as the Smith County Family Practice in Smith Center and will be made up of four units and one infant room for a total of five individual rooms. As explained by Program Director Cierra Wallgren, classes will follow a daily schedule to promote consistency, and “Each classroom will experience hands-on learning through play. There will be new themes introduced every month with one lesson per week. Our classroom teachers will use books, puppets, music, blocks, puzzles, and manipulatives to inspire a love of learning.”
Children will receive a morning snack, lunch, and an afternoon snack that will all be prepared at the child development center.
Wallgren explained that over four years ago, a number of community members recognized the need for additional childcare options in the community, and Bright Beginnings has been in the works ever since. Wallgren was named Program Director in December, and though the daycare has been a labor of love for many individuals, she has played an instrumental role in the process of getting the center open.
Wallgren clearly sees the need for childcare in not only her own community of Smith Center, but other rural communities alike. “Rural communities like us are either growing or dying and childcare plays a big role in that,” she stated. “I hope that providing services like a childcare center to our community can help play a role in young families wanting to come back to the area. I also hope that our childcare center can ease the burden of families not being able to find childcare when their current provider is closed.”
Wallgren is excited for what the center will provide to the community. “Our community and families can experience all the benefits a childcare center can provide to our children’s early years of learning.” Currently there are 16 children on the enrollment list for Bright Beginnings, with space for more, as the center has a capacity for 57 children, providing the child to staff ratio fits a certain formula.
Smith Center, located in the heart of the USA, boasts a busy downtown, a host of local businesses, and a school with strong sports traditions, among other features.
“We are a small town but we are growing!” exclaimed Wallgren, referencing the town’s new hospital, as well as Sunporch, the nursing home facility, and Applequist Manufacturing, a new company that manufactures agricultural and industrial equipment. “There are a number of people that would like to take a job but were not able to due to the lack of childcare slots available. Our Board Members have been working for several years on this project and we are close to crossing the finish line,” stated Wallgren.
Opening a daycare facility is a long and detailed process that includes amassing funds, securing the facility and making it appropriate for a childcare center, and passing inspection.
Wallgren explained the process in detail. “The process has been very painful and time consuming,” she stated. “We began with finding a building to purchase. Next we wrote grants and began raising funds to make the purchase. The Kansas State Fire Marshall and Kansas Department of Health and Environment were brought in to get the first site visit completed. Once we got the approval to start, an architect was hired to meet the Fire Marshal regulations. Building renovations were started but came to a halt when Covid hit. The rising prices of renovations and materials drove us back to the fund raising element. We have worked very hard and been determined in the last couple months to be where we are now. We have recently gained approval from the State Fire Marshall and are submitting our application to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. Once they receive our completed application they will schedule an on-site visit to ensure regulatory compliance is in place. This process can take 60-90 days for an on-site visit to be completed. We have hired staff and will be getting the necessary training and background checks completed. We hope to open as soon as possible.”
In addition to providing a space for children, the center will also provide employment opportunities for the community. “Growing enrollments will require more staffing, so we are always accepting applications for employment,” said Wallgren, explaining that high school aids must be at least 16 years of age, and that lead teachers or teaching assistants must be 18 years of age, a high school graduate, or have a GED at a minimum, and pass a background check as well as complete additional trainings once employment has been secured.
Wallgren’s passion for the facility and love for children is evident in the way she speaks.
“Every day is a new opportunity to impact the lives of the children you come in contact with. A child may not be able to control the situations and environment happening outside of the childcare center but if we do everything in our power to provide a safe, loving and routine environment for our children we can make a huge impact on their lives. Our young children need us more than ever right now, and I can’t wait to be a part of their educational growth.”
