TOOELE, Utah — A new daycare center is set to open in Tooele, offering hope for local families who have struggled with limited childcare options.
For Madison Grass, a mother of three and a lifelong resident of Tooele, the search for childcare has been stressful.
“It’s impossible out here,” Grass said. “My four-year-old has been on a waitlist for a year and a half. My two-year-old has been on a waitlist since he was two months old.”
That wait is nearly over. Sunny Center Daycare is opening its third location in a remodeled building on Main Street, a project Grass has been watching with anticipation.
“Another daycare is what we needed,” she said.
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Owners Chris and Kishka Erekson said they were aware of the high demand for childcare in the growing community.
“I heard that they had a need out here,” Kishka Erekson said. “And I was like, ‘Okay, I will pull the center together and open it.'”
With the center just one week from opening, Erekson is also focused on affordability. She has partnered with the state to ensure families can apply for financial assistance.
“They can go to jobs.utah.gov and apply for state subsidies — I feel like that is a great factor for parents,” Erekson said.
The center is now welcoming parents to enroll, and the response has been grateful. For parents like Grass, the opening provides a long-awaited solution.
“This puts us to where I don’t have to wait another year, and I can actually put my kids in daycare,” she said.
