Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristin Shirley.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Kristin. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Opening a child development center is something that I have dreamed about since I first walked into a child care environment. I have my Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development and Business from the University of North Texas and through my education I have learned the value of teaching children at a young age. I have worked at several daycare chains and one private school, learning more and more from each position. One factor that has helped my career is the willingness on my part to get involved with every position in the child care field. I have been a cook, an assistant teacher, a lead teacher, a bus driver, an educational consultant, and finally a director.
I began Discovery Lane School as a small, in-home child care. I expected to enroll four infants and watch them grow and learn. I realized just a month after enrolling my first child that high-quality child care was needed in the area. I began working on my application for having a licensed family home so I could take in 12 children with the help of an employee. With constant calls from interested parents, I then started working on a business plan to help me get a loan to open a much bigger center.
As of November 2nd, 2005, I opened the first stage of Endless Discoveries Child Development Center. This center holds 62 children from age six weeks to four years of age. With much support from the community, family, and friends I started working on the plans for the next stage of Endless Discoveries Child Development Center. We opened our second stage on January 2nd, 2007. This center holds 93 children from four-years-old to thirteen-years-old. We have the capability to offer a Private Kindergarten to the area with a certified teacher within this school. Additionally, we can drop-off and pick-up children at local schools and take children on field trips with our buses and van.
With the help of all of my family I have pushed myself to open these beautiful centers where children can learn through play and parents can feel secure that their children are not only safe but are getting quality care and education individualized for their age group.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Nothing is without obstacles, but the struggles I have endured have taught me so much about the business and myself along the way.
I have faced issues regarding requirements for safety within the city, county and state building codes. I have struggled with not knowing where the funding would come from or how to approach banking institutions to ask for needed financial assistance. Another challenge has been the constantly evolving needs of families and of the child development field itself. (Although, that has been a fun challenge to stay on top of!)
Some of the more minor challenges have been hearing things like, I’m young, I’m female, and my experience was limited. Those are all things that can break a person down, but it was never something I gave much thought to. I have dealt with internal loss through theft with staff and even a lightning strike that took out phones, internet and camera systems.
I had one person tell me a long time ago that the sun always shines on Endless Discoveries. This is true, and every time I feel a challenge overwhelm my vision I remember that saying.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Endless Discoveries Child Development Center – what should we know?
Endless Discoveries is a child development center that focuses on the whole child and whole family. We pride ourselves from the moment a family walks into our doors that they are part of our Endless Discoveries family. I have created a tight bond with my staff and given them the resources and abilities to do their jobs, but also able to create that tight bond with each child and their family. Many of my staff have been with our center for over 5 years, and that is remarkable within this field.
As a company, I am most proud of the fact that my staff are eager to learn and provide more within their classrooms and for our school. As a result, we have been nationally accredited with NAC for the past 6 years, are rated through Texas Rising Star as a 4 Star center (highest rating possible), and we are partnered with Texas School Ready to get children ready for kindergarten. Our staff have set the standards high in our area for providing an amazing curriculum with the quality interactions that all families are looking for.
I believe we have several things that set us apart from other centers besides the tenure of our staff and accreditations. We offer a streaming video system for all families at no extra cost, we offer a very secure facility, and we will be offering digital reporting to the families within the next few weeks. Our communication and family friendly policies also set us far apart from our competitors.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
I have always relied heavily on my mom. She is my business partner, mainly because I trust her to always bounce ideas off of. Plus, she has helped financially! My mom is also our graphic designer, advertising guru, and print specialist. She always believed in me and my dream, however she never quite realized how big my dream was.
My management team deserves a lot of credit. Each of us has a set job description which allows us to focus on certain aspects of the business without overwhelming a single person. We too have the ability to communicate so that we are not stepping on anyone’s toes.
I also find that insight from teachers and families are a big reason for our successes. I ask for their input and ask a lot of questions. This helps my think outside the box, which is always good for an evolving business.
Contact Info:
- Address: 823 Towne Court, Saginaw, TX 76179
- Website: www.endlessdiscoveriescdc.com
- Phone: 682-286-9662
- Email: info@endlessdiscoveriescdc.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/endlessdiscoveriescdc
- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/EDCDC
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/endless-discoveries-child-development-center-saginaw
- Other: https://goo.gl/maps/mbf9GxZ1JZB2
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