Greater Connections opens

I Think I Can Childcare Center officially closed its doors Friday after being open for more than 40 years. Families and staff have made the transition to the new location, Greater Connections Childhood Development Center.

“[Friday] we said goodbye to an era,” Greater Connections director Melissa Zellmer said in a Facebook post on Saturday. “I Think I Can has served our community for the last 40+ years nurturing our community children and helping grow the leaders of the future.”

Located at 1405 N. Lincoln St. across from Southern Prairie Family Fitness Center, Greater Connections is able to serve 175 children and offer more hours than I Think I Can previously held.

“This is an amazing opportunity for the children in our community,” Zellmer said. “Many community entities have worked really hard to provide a vision for childcare in our community and I am thankful to be able to lead that vision.”

Zellmer said the transition to the new center has been challenging yet rewarding.

“It is fitting that last year at this time, was my first week as the Director of I Think I Can - I was cleaning, sorting and organizing the building for what would be the last few months in that building,” Zellmer said. “I Think I Can taught me that it isn’t the building that brings the children to the center but truly the interactions between children and teachers.”

Thirty staff members have moved to the Greater Connections center along with Zellmer, 12 of whom are continuing their schooling in early childhood education.

Planning for Greater Connections started in 2020 with the Creston Child Care Committee. Their goal was to start construction in March of 2021. Ground was officially broken in June 2022. Construction on the parking lot is continuing.

Greater Connections Childhood Development Center is open 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and accepts DHS/Childcare assistance. Those interested in getting on the waitlist should call 641-782-7117.