Little Mavs Reaches its Six Month Milestone

Happy Wednesday, everyone! I’m beginning to wonder if we’ll ever get out of these freezing temperatures. On a warmer note, I had a wonderful discussion with Tanya Ecker of Little Mavs Child Care Center on Monday, and am excited to share all of the success it has been having with you.

Little Mavs has recently reached its 6-month milestone. The center, based out of Everly and Royal, provides childcare services for children ranging from ages 6 weeks to 12 years. Each center has three classrooms: infant (6 weeks – 24 months), preschool (24 months – 5/6 years) and school aged (6 – 12 years). Currently, the center has approximately 45 children in attendance.

I was able to meet with Tanya earlier this week to get some more information and to get her take on the center’s success thus far.

There are two centers available for parents to take their children – Royal and Everly. The center in Royal is located in the elementary school; the one in Everly resides in the high school. Tanya explained the school system is fully on board with the two locations, since the district serves both towns. The centers have been a great addition to the community.

She also explained that the need to bring a daycare facility to both Royal and Everly was in high demand.

“There was a tremendous need for infant care in the area,” Tanya said. “Our centers are only 8 miles from Spencer, so this is a great possibility for those families struggling to find care for their children.”

Kathy Evert of our office also explained the importance of having childcare in the area.

“Quality childcare is important for the entire Corridor region. We cannot grow or retain our younger workforce to meet the increasing demand for more workers in this region if quality childcare is not available. We commend the Little Mavs organization for recognizing the need and investing in these childcare centers and for all of the employers and parents who are supporting them,” Kathy added.

The next topic on our agenda was directed more toward the children and their teachers. According to Tanya, every classroom teacher is required to document their lesson plans throughout the day.

“We’re looking to expand those lessons to include math and science, as well as your typical arts and crafts. We just received a Second Step Curriculum that focuses greatly on social skills.”

For more information on Second Step Curriculum, click here.

Tanya also explained she has been teaching staff members about Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) at staff meetings. PBIS is an important concept for Little Mavs teachers to know and understand.

“I have a teaching background and have enjoyed training our staff members. For example, we’d like them to say ‘please use your walking feet’ instead of ‘stop running.’ It makes a big difference in how children respond.”

February 23 marked Little Mavs’ largest fundraiser to date. A live and silent auction took place this past Sunday afternoon. Tanya was so enthused while talking about the event, smiling from ear-to-ear. It was a huge success, raising over $10,000 for the two centers.

“We were set up for 110 people, and at one point during the live auction had standing room only. It was crazy! We served 320 meals throughout that 3 hour period.”

Little Mavs has taken full advantage of Facebook to help spread the word of its existence. Events, pictures and testimonials are posted on the page regularly.

“Facebook has been wonderful for us; it’s our main way of communication. It’s great to be able to post updates on there for the parents to see on a daily basis.”

The center is still looking to grow the number of families it serves. PLUS, Little Mavs qualifies for childcare assistance, which allows for acceptance of all families.

So, I say y’all should check ‘em out! I have visited both places; they are clean, extremely friendly and super cute!

Little Mavs will be at Family Fest on March 8th at the Clay County Regional Events Center.

If you’d like to get in contact with Tanya about childcare, you can do so at 712.834.2300 or by emailing her at littlemavschildcare@gmail.com. You can also click here to visit Little Mavs’ website.

Check out the rest of our blog here!

- Alexa Guessford