Washington County Enterprise-Leader
Appleseed Academy Opens To Serve Parents, Children
LINCOLN — The administration offices for Lincoln Consolidated School District will have the sounds of babies and children coming down its halls this year.
A new childcare center, called Appleseed Academy, opens Aug. 1 in two large rooms in the administration building.
One of the rooms is the former office used by school Superintendent Mary Ann Spears. She volunteered to give up her large office to make room for the center.
“It’s therapy,” said Spears, as she attended an open house for Appleseed Academy last week. “I’m going to come rock some babies.”
Appleseed Academy is owned by Amy Eddy and Heather Keenen. Eddy also will serve as center director.
Keenen, who is president of Lincoln Area Chamber of Commerce, said the venture has been a community effort and partnership with the school administration, Lincoln School Board and the business owners.
When the only standalone childcare center closed earlier this year in Lincoln, it left a void that needed to be filled, Keenen said.
Keenen’s daughter stayed at Ms. LaDonna and Nana’s Playhouse and Keenen said she wanted to make sure parents in the community would still have a quality place to take their children for care.
She and Eddy looked for another location for the center in Lincoln but everything required too much remodeling and work to meet state regulations and codes.
Spears said the school became involved when School Board President Kendra Moore asked her if the district had any available space for a child development center. Lincoln schools had an on-site center at one time but it closed several years ago because there were not enough children.
“Well, I can give up my office,” Spears told her.
Spears said the two large rooms are a natural spot because the building was once used as an elementary school. There’s a fenced-in play area outside one of the rooms and bathrooms are accessible from the rooms.
With help from others, Keenen and Eddy have turned the two former elementary classrooms into an inviting area for babies, toddlers and preschool children.
Eddy said the childcare has spots available for 41 children, from 6 weeks old to 5 years old. Already, 28 children are signed up for the center.
The facility will have three classrooms for infants, toddlers and preschool age, and seven teachers. All teachers are required to have Arkansas New Staff Orientation and be first aid and CPR certified. Lead teachers have to have at least one year experience in a licensed facility.
Eddy has a bachelor of arts degree and a master’s degree in business management. She has eight years of experience in early childhood education for all ages and six years experience in business management. She also is a certified trainer for the state of Arkansas.
The center will be open 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. MondayFriday and is located at 107 E. School St.
Appleseed Academy will pay the school district $500 per month to lease the two classrooms.