A childcare desert

From Rick Fyock

I Think I Can Board President

Recently the Creston News Advertiser ran a front page article talking about the lack of childcare availability in the area. The article addressed the need to have such facilities to keep the area growing and offer quality care to working parents. I agree with Ms. Amman completely.

However, she failed to discuss the one large daycare provider in Creston that has been going for more than 50 years and has served literally thousands of parents and their children. I Think I Can Daycare is that nonprofit business. In fact, we have parents who were brought here for care when they were little and are now bringing their own children here. That’s a great testimony and honor to provide this service at the best price we can offer.

I Think I Can serves children from six weeks old to five years old in our main center. We also provide before and after school program for students up to 10 years old. We are state licensed and QRS III rated and working to get our IV rating with Jenny Moon (who was quoted in the article). We offer a weekly curriculum for each classroom depending on age. We are open five days a week from 5:30 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. We are only closed for the six national holidays. Parents don’t have to worry about covering for sick or vacationing providers.

Several businesses support us, but more support is needed to keep this public daycare improving and advancing. The public says a need for daycare is there, and the community needs to accept that it will take a village to raise its children.