Big news coming from Tiny Town
A handful of the students who attend Tiny Town got to take a tour through the daycare facility's new addition – which will provide 4,000 square feet of new space and room for up to 100 additional kids.
Courtesy photo
PINEHURST — Big changes are coming to Tiny Town.
The child care facility in Pinehurst is in the midst of an expansion that will give it more than 4,000 square feet of new space.
When owner/operator Jesica Calabretta got into the child care business almost seven years ago it was almost out of a matter of necessity. Following the birth of her son, she, like so many other parents, was at a crossroads.
“I looked into my child care options in order to return to work after maternity leave and wasn't too thrilled with the choices,” Calabretta said. “This got me thinking about how many other moms feel the same way, stuck picking between their careers or their child's well-being.”
Calabretta decided to bet on herself, take the two ideas and make them into one.
That decision has paid off in spades. Her business grew to the point that she had another big choice to make: Expand or turn families away.
Almost immediately after she opened her doors, Calabretta’s Tiny Town had a waiting list.
“Three months into opening I started my waiting list and still have a waiting list, and this September will be seven years in business,” she said. “I figured it's time to expand and hopefully better serve my community. I've had families say they are ready to have another baby, but when is a good time for me because they want to secure a spot.”
Regretfully, Calabretta has also had kids age out of the waiting list without ever being able to attend, which is part of the fuel for this expansion.
Once completed, the new space will be divided into four large classrooms with extra storage space. The addition was strategically placed to allow the facility to maintain its large “backyard” area so the kids will still have plenty of room to play outside.
“We have a big playground structure, a concrete pathway for bikes, a tree house and a small fenced-in space for little ones to safely play outside, too,” Calabretta said.
Her goal is to hopefully add up to 100 additional spots, but before she can do that, she will need to make sure her staff is large enough to handle that many kids and they are the right fit for the standard that she holds her teachers to.
“I believe Tiny Town is successful because we have accomplished our mission statement, to develop little hearts and minds in a nurturing atmosphere that all children need and deserve,” Calabretta said. “We do this by providing a safe, clean, loving and structured environment. We genuinely care about young children and enjoy teaching them about the exciting world around them.”
She anticipates that she will need between 10 and 15 new teachers once the expansion is complete.
The expansion of Tiny Town is expected to be completed later this year.
Info: Jesica Calabretta, 208-682-3663.