Today we’d like to introduce you to Danielle Preston and Frances Goff.
The story of The Happy Tree Child Development Center started in October of 1989. The center was started by a young woman from Brooklyn, New York, who had just completed college at South Carolina State University in Early Child Development Education. Frances Bennett, the only one of 19 children to complete her education, had an interest in the lives of young children so much so that she was led to open a high quality child development center.
Her first center was located on site at an apartment faculty in Far North Dallas during the late 80’s. It grew from 17 to over 50 students. The concept back then was to have high quality care where one lived. This concept was a hit!
The childcare center continued to grow and was relocated to Carrollton in 1990. The center enrolled over 130 students and was able to continue the success of the providing high quality care to families. In 2001, the center grew yet again. This time we would relocate to our own building.
The moment you walk through the doors you can sense that you are in a place of caring, loving, respectful and patient individuals. Here at the center, we take pride in providing children and families with the highest level of care and developmentally appropriate practice. Simply put, The Happy Tree is a home away from home. Our teachers are well equipped to take care of your children because of their full knowledge in Early Childhood Education. We are devoted to raising healthy, happy, and intelligent children because we put our heart and soul into it.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Frances’ story has so many moving parts that are noteworthy, and one saying that many of our educators and community leaders still use to this day resonates with her story “it takes a village.” Having lost her both of her parents a year and a day a part, Frances’ early childhood experiences were based upon family members and community leaders stepping up and in to care for and her siblings. This small community of Jerome street in Brooklyn, New York took it upon themselves to help a family in need. For example, each morning there was a nice neighbor who would look to see that the “twins” made it to the subway and while another family member would see to it that the children had dinner ready and clean clothing for school the next day. Though the “twins” fell victim to the foster care system on a number occasions, it was left up to their eldest sister Marian Bennett to care for the younger children as their primary caregiver. She did the best that she could to provide the younger children and especially the “twins” with opportunities and instilled in them the ability to go out into the world and make something of themselves. Today we call his “grit,” meaning the ability to go against all odds and succeed. Not too many individuals have this innate ability and it is really something that cannot be formally taught.
Experience
After completing her studies at South Carolina State University, Frances worked with a corporation called LaDay and Associates and ran the project development team in opening daycare centers on the bottom floor of various corporate buildings in the DFW Metroplex. The concept was to have your baby or child in the same building that you worked in or in the building next door. This turned into a success and Frances was responsible for the opening and implementation of daycare policies and procedures for 25 centers in and around the metroplex. This success led to her first center which was located on site at an apartment faculty in Far North Dallas during the late 80’s. It grew from 17 to over 50 students. The concept back then was to have high quality care where one lived. This concept was a hit!
Growth
The childcare center continued to grow and was relocated to Carrollton in 1990 at 2650 Midway Road in a retail space. The center enrolled over 130 students and was able to continue the success of the providing high quality care to families. In 2001, the center grew yet again. This time we would relocate to our own building at 3225 Belmeade Drive right across the street. The moment you walk through the doors you can sense that you are in a place of caring, loving, respectful and patient individuals. Here at the center, we take pride in providing children and families with the highest level of care and developmentally appropriate practice. Simply put, The Happy Tree is a home away from home. Our teachers are well equipped to take care of your children because of their full knowledge in Early Childhood Education. We are devoted to raising healthy, happy, and intelligent children because we put our heart and soul into it.
Operations and Marketing
The operations at The Happy Tree are instrumental as work flow is managed by the Director Danielle Preston, Frances’ daughter who literally grew up in the business and not only knows the ins and outs but also she understands what it takes to run a successful business based on high quality care at an affordable price. In terms of day to day operations Danielle performs the following; purchasing, vendor contracts, and capital investing and spending. She always has her ear to the market and performs market analysis of our competition once every three months. She does this by going around or calling daycares and asking and/or finding out about new tuition rates, customer service (how they answer the phone for example) and/or new procedures that she could implement or make better in order to remain competitive.
Danielle will go to a high end center for example a Primrose and “middle-end” daycare (which is more within our competitive range) and a “lower-end” daycare. She is in tune with the smallest of details for example it is important to have a clean front window at the front of the center. It is our first impression and makes clients feel like the center is going to be a clean facility once they open the door. Curb appeal is an important factor, as well as having a super clean center inside with strict cleaning procedures from caregivers and janitorial crews to kitchen staff.
Staff Turnover
For the past twenty-nine years, The Happy Tree can confidently say what we not only have had the same owner but also 5/10 staff members have been at the center for an average of 17.6 years. This is highly unusual in daycare as the industry turnover rate is 30% for a caregiver per the Child Research Network. On Average, according to the Department of Labor and Statistics caregivers make $9.77 per hour as of May 2015. With these staggering statistics we have been able to pay our seasoned and experienced staff well above (about 45%) this average. We believe that training and a positive work environment are two keys that contribute to our low turn staff turnover. Not only do all staff participate in annual training hours in the areas of: child discipline, communication, and classroom management. Many of our “teachable moments” are performed right on the job. I believe that is the best way for caregivers to learn through experiences and are supported in their environment
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about The Happy Tree Child Development Center – what should we know?
As evidenced by the financial statements, the business certainly has grown. We have doubled our enrollment from 40 children in 2011 to a maximum of 105 and an average of 93 in 2016. Additionally, we conduct market analysis every three months regarding pricing at neighboring centers. For example, our high end competitors charge about $280.00 for infants and our low end competitors charge about $225. We charge $250.00 which is competitive and affordable for your clients. We also offer, at no additional cost, an online baby gram feed Daily Connect.com. This system allows for parents to log on to the system and see how their baby is doing on an up to the minute basis. In order increase our enrollment and, consequently, our profits we plan to increase prices by $5.00 to $10.00 at least twice per year. Also, we have upgraded our equipment, given teachers new IPADS, and gotten new carpet for the entire building, upgraded the exterior of the building to have more curb appeal and have implemented new technology regarding security of the children. We now have a door bell that rings to our cell phone devices that is projected over the internet so that owners and directors can see who is at the door at all times. Additionally, we have wireless cameras which owners and directors only have access to (which has all been paid for and is not an outstanding debt) so as to stay competitive in our market and insure the safety of the children as this is the paramount concern for parents.
What parents truly love about The Happy Tree CDC is that everyone knows who your child is! When they are at work they feel sense of peace and that their child is being taken care.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Yes, Mrs. Detra Barrett and Mrs. Mara Cardoso are integral members of our staff. Without them we would not be able to have smooth operations each day. They greet each morning and ensure that each child has a smooth transition when they leave their parents. They know each and every child, what makes them tick and what makes them happy!
Contact Info:
- Address: The Happy Tree CDC
3225 Belmeade Drive
Carrollton TX 75006 - Website: happytreechild.com
- Phone: 9727331652
- Email: dpreston@thehappytreechild.com
Image Credit:
The First Picture – Frances Goff, owner founder
The Second Picture – Danielle Preston-Handy, owner’s daughter
Other Pictures of the Center / The Children
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