An unused area on the Prairie View Campus will soon be filling a need of Kids Express Daycare.
The desire for daycare services in the Sanborn area has exceeded the available space at Kids Express. Meanwhile, the memory care unit at Prairie View, known as Kuiper Villa, has not been in use for over three years. Now it appears a move that will benefit both entities is imminent.
“A commitment to serve the children and families of the Sanborn community is at the heart of Kids Express Daycare’s mission,” stated Melissa Michels, Director of Kids Express Daycare. “It is our endeavor to welcome and provide excellent care for all families in need.”
Michels explained their need to find more room. “We currently have 57 children enrolled, serving 35 families, and we are at maximum capacity allowed for our space,” she said. “The first opening on my waiting list for the infant room is currently May 2025 and the first opening on my waiting list for the toddler room is August 2025, which means our facility is not able to meet the needs of our community. I, as director, along with our board, work tirelessly to plan for how to best meet the current needs of our kids and the future needs of our community.”
The Director related how this chance to move came about, the benefits and what comes next. “A few months ago, we were approached with the opportunity to relocate to the former Kuiper Villa Unit inside Prairie View Nursing Home which has been sitting empty for some time now,” said Michels. “After careful thought and planning, we believe this move will provide the best possible future for our kids and the community we serve. Over the next several months, we will be working with Prairie View to remodel the space to fit our needs. By moving to this new location we will increase our overall capacity. We will be able to provide more space for infant care, include a mobile infant room, a 2 year old classroom, a 3-4 year old classroom, a bigger space for school age children, and a larger outdoor space. We will also be able to offer coordinated programming between those living at Prairie View and our children, enriching the lives of all involved.”
Prairie View also sees the benefits of the move for the campus and its residents. “It is with great excitement that we are able to coordinate with Kids Express on moving their facility out to our campus!,” said Wendy Nelson, Prairie View Administrator. “Our campus will now become even more vibrant with the laughter and play of little ones and we cannot wait! It will also provide us with opportunity to have inter-generational bonding, a stronger community connection all while providing a bigger space for the children to learn and grow, while offering companionship and joy to our residents.”
Prairie View, too, had been looking to resolve an issue, in their case, what to do with that unused part of the campus. “We had discussed options for our memory care unit, which has been closed since February of 2021, and the daycare was at the top of our list,” noted Nelson. “We are lucky to have a daycare like Kids Express in our town and if Prairie View Campus can help it grow and maintain for many more years to come, we are honored to do so.”
Michels stressed that there is work to be done before the relocation is accomplished. “We will need our community to come together and support us in this move,” stated the Director. “We have had a very generous donation to get us started, but we will still need the Sanborn community to step up and support us and the people we provide for. This project will ensure that a daycare stays in Sanborn for many years to come. This is not only an investment into the daycare, but an investment into the future of Sanborn families and our community. We look forward to this opportunity for growth and for all the exciting possibilities that are to come!”