Savannah Wisdom and Jessica Willis share a mutual passion for providing childcare that feels like a second home.
Graceful Beginnings Daycare serves 50 children at its Columbia, Kentucky daycare.
The Columbia, Kentucky business partners, related by marriage, have merged their passions and existing early childcare experience to invest in Graceful Beginnings Daycare. Their combined hands-on experience and licensing knowledge have given them the foundation needed to take on an existing daycare and make it their own.
“As a team, we are dedicated to creating a warm, supportive environment that feels like a second home for every child in our care,” Willis said. “Our passion for early childhood development drives everything we do, and we look forward to growing alongside the families we serve.”
Being onsite and actively working daily with the children in their care is important to the partners.
“We are blessed to be able to do this as it allows us to spend time with the kids and get to know each of them individually,” added Wisdom. “I think our passion sets us apart. We love each of these kids as our own and have developed a personal relationship with both them and their families.”
Graceful Beginnings serves children aged six weeks to 12 years and operates from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Kentucky SBDC Childcare Initiative works with Play Mart, Inc., in Somerset to purchase the playground equipment.
Together, they took over ownership and management of the existing childcare business and quadrupled enrollment and employment in months. Since opening earlier this year, the childcare center increased enrollment from 13 children to more than 50.
“We are so lucky that the community has welcomed us with open arms,” Wisdom said. “There is nowhere else we would rather be, and we were blessed to be filled up within only a few months of opening.”
Although business growth is positive and exciting, even the most experienced childcare center owners face growing pains.
“Some of our biggest challenges include growing faster than expected, adjusting to more children, and managing employees,” she added. “While these are personal challenges, they are also our greatest blessings.”
As their numbers grew rapidly, the partners realized they didn’t have the equipment to match their enrollment.
That’s where Southeast Kentucky Economic Development (SKED) comes in.
Since 2024, SKED has partnered with the Kentucky Small Business Development Center (SBDC) to provide childcare center owners with the training and information they need to succeed through the Kentucky SBDC Childcare Initiative. SKED and the SBDC have developed a successful relationship with Kentucky’s Childcare Aware.
“With the help of our Childcare Aware Health and Safety Coach, Rachael Corriveau, we discovered that a playground grant was available, and this was one of our biggest needs at the time,” Wisdom said.
SKED Small Business Training Director Amanda Kelly began working with Wisdom and Willis early on and shared information about SKED’s new childcare center playground equipment loan fund, alongside the grant. Together, the project has provided the childcare center with $10,000 worth of equipment for $5,000.
Within weeks, the playground equipment was installed, and the children of Graceful Beginnings had a fun new place to explore and learn.
Willis and Wisdom agree that the SKED business loan assistance and Kentucky SBDC Childcare Initiative Grant gave them equipment they could never have afforded on their own in such a short time.
SKED has helped six childcare centers purchase playground equipment.
“SKED not only provided us with a much-needed playground, but they also made everything easy for us,” Willis explained. “From Amanda Kelly coming to our location when needed to answering our calls and texts all hours of the day, the SKED staff has been a great asset to our business. They made the process easy and were able to provide an interest rate that beat all competitors”
Kelly said Graceful Beginnings’ success and desire to provide their children with a better playground made the new program a perfect fit for the business’ needs.
“Jessica and Savannah truly love what they do, and that passion is evident in the way they care for the children and serve their families,” Kelly said. “It has been a pleasure working with them and watching Graceful Beginnings grow so quickly. They are dedicated, hardworking, and committed to providing quality childcare experiences for the families in their community. I’m excited to see what the future holds for Graceful Beginnings, and I look forward to continuing to work alongside them for many years.”
Even with quadrupling their enrollment and adding new playground equipment, Graceful Beginnings is just getting started. The owners said they still have much more growth to achieve.
“Our future goals for the business include improving the quality of care for the children, because we feel that there is always room to improve, Willis said. “In addition, our long-term goal is to expand our capacity to eventually be able to better serve the community.”
The owners say their success lies in their motto: “We believe in building strong foundations – through love, learning, and laughter – one little heart at a time.”
To learn more about Graceful Beginnings, LLC, follow the business on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578005580409
