GODFREY - Kreative Kids Learning Center is getting ready to open their new location in Godfrey with a Grand Opening ceremony on March 31 starting at 9:30 a.m. Kreative Kids CEO Keith Neuber said the ceremony will feature a ribbon-cutting around 10 a.m., tours of the new building, guest speakers, and that “it’s going to be great fun.”
“We’re going to give tours of the building so that the folks can see just what we’re about,” Neuber said on an episode of Our Daily Show! on Riverbender.com. “It’s a beautiful new building, people are going to love seeing it. It speaks ‘kid.’”
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Kreative Kids was previously located at the McKinley School in Alton for 22 years, and also spent a few years in the old St. Patrick’s School building. They’re now moving to the former Alvereita Beauty College facility at 3048 Godfrey Road in Godfrey. Neuber said this new location will allow them to expand some of their offerings, and they’ll be looking to expand their staff as well.
“We’re getting ready to add a temporary classroom to the front of the building, which will enable us to potentially open at least another school-age room and then potentially another infant center,” he said. “One of the challenges is finding staff, and so if there’s anybody out there who’s interested in working for early childhood, we’ve got availability, we have benefits, all kinds of good things for people.”
He added that they “pay pretty well” and are able to offer a full benefits package because as a nonprofit, they receive financial support from the United Way and various grants, which allows them to offer more competitive pay and benefits than typical childcare facilities. To find out more about applying to Kreative Kids, visit kreativekidslearning.com/careers.
Neuber said that during his 26-year career with Kreative Kids, he’s seen the organization grow significantly, but he’s also seen the demand for childcare skyrocket.
“We’ve seen a lot of growth, a lot of transitions in terms of childcare over the years - we’re non-for-profit, so we serve primarily low-income families, but we do have a number of regular paying families and people on a scholarship program,” he said. “We’ve seen a lot of changes in childcare over the years. The demand is great - right now … we’re in a situation that we’re turning down about four or five calls a day for childcare.”
Going forward, Neuber said the group’s next steps are to finish renovating the new location, then hire the “next generation” of staff, as many of the current staff members have been with the organization for decades and look to retire in the near future.
To find out more about Kreative Kids Learning Center, visit their Facebook page or kreativekidslearning.com. The full interview with Neuber can be watched below from Riverbender.com/video:
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