If you had told me a few years ago that I would be opening a childcare center, I probably wouldn’t have believed you.

Early Connections didn’t start with a business plan or because I thought Lockport needed another childcare center. It started much closer to home.

I’m a mom first. And like most parents, when it came to my own children, I wanted to know who they were spending their days with, what they were eating, what they were learning, how they were being spoken to, and whether someone would really know them, not just supervise them.

That same mindset followed me when I began caring for children from my home.

Running my home daycare and preschool gave me the opportunity to build relationships with families that I genuinely valued. I got to know their children, their personalities, their routines, what made them comfortable, what challenged them, and what made them light up.

And somewhere along the way, I realized I wanted to take everything I loved about that small, personal environment and build something bigger without losing the part that made it special.

That’s how Early Connections began.

Over the past year, I’ve been involved in nearly every part of building this school. I’ve picked out classroom materials, thought through the smallest details of the environment, questioned what we serve our children, built our programs, hired our teachers, opened countless delivery boxes, moved furniture, changed things that didn’t feel right, and probably worried about details most people will never even notice.

But I notice them because I’m building the kind of place I would want for my own children.

I wanted classrooms that feel calm instead of overwhelming. I wanted children to be learning and preparing for kindergarten without their entire day feeling rigid. I wanted real teachers who know the children in front of them. I wanted organic meals, filtered water, fewer unnecessary ingredients and dyes, clean classrooms, and outdoor shoes left at the door.

Most importantly, I wanted Early Connections to stay personal.

As we grow, I never want a child to become a number on an enrollment sheet or a parent to feel like just another account. I want families to walk through our doors and know that the people here actually know their child.

We’re still new. We’re still growing. And I’m incredibly proud of that.

Because Early Connections wasn’t handed to me already finished. I built it piece by piece, with my family beside me, from an idea that started in my own home into the school you see today.

And if you choose to trust us with your child, I don’t take that lightly.

I hope when you walk through our doors, you can feel the difference.

— Anita

Founder, Early Connections Childcare & Preschool