Ghent (KMHL)- Jaime Gillund with help from Southwest Initiative Foundation’s (SWIF) Bright Beginnings Loan Program. Fulfills her lifelong dream by opening Little Explorers Child Care Center helping fill a critical need for child care in surrounding communities, with the potential to serve 57 children ages 6 weeks to 12 years old.
Gillund earned her degree in early childhood education at SMSU, then opened a family child care in her home 17 years ago. Her child care spots were consistently full. After receiving calls daily for both full–time and drop-in care for years, Gillund decided it was time to finally pursue her dream of a child care center. Completed in 2021, the brand-new building that houses Little Explorers Child Care Center has a reception area, office, four classrooms and a kitchen. Outside is a playground.
Enrollment is currently at 44 children; the infant and toddler classrooms are full, and both have waiting lists.
