Many parents have struggled since the pandemic to find quality child care. The upcoming opening of Kardinal Kids, 260 S. Bradfordton Road, will help fill this need.
Started by Kasi Maisenbacher and her husband, Ryan, Kardinal Kids came to fruition because of this lack of child care. The property, just west of Route 97, has a Springfield address but is in the Pleasant Plains school district.
Kasi and Ryan have two children, Addyson and Landon, who both attend Pleasant Plains High School.
"The Pleasant Plains school district does not have a day care that services them, and it's needed so much," said Maisenbacher. "We didn't really do this for us. We did it for the community. This plan has been in the works for three years on my end, just trying to figure out how to make happen."
Maisenbacher has worked in schools and in child care for more than 20 years, including working with children who have profound disabilities. "That's where my heart is, working with kids," she said.
Staff turnover rates are typically high in day care settings, and several area childcare facilities have closed within the last few years. Central Baptist Church closed its Children's House Daycare in May 2024 after more than 50 years in operation, citing minimum wage increases and a loss of state funding. Building Blocks Preschool closed later in the year, with owner Devi Harper telling SBJ the business never fully recovered from the pandemic-related shutdowns and the teacher shortage that followed.
However, Maisenbacher said she did not have any issues with attracting staff and hopes her careful hiring will help with turnover.
"My staff is just as excited as I am. I hope we can grow together and build a good work environment in relation to keeping this thing going and being successful with little turnover," Maisenbacher said. "It's my job to make sure my employees are taken care of, that they have the resources they need to be successful and to let them know they are appreciated."
Maisenbacher said she wanted her staff to share her vision for Kardinal Kids, which is "a family-friendly environment for children to learn through play," especially in the early childhood years. She said she is committed to creating a learning environment with hands-on, screen-free time in classrooms.
Maisenbacher said of her employees, "They are passionate about kids, learning through play and being hands-on to make sure we provide that safe, happy, loving environment for those kids."
After shopping around, the Maisenbachers worked with Alliance Community Bank to find a loan that met their needs. "My bank has been awesome," said Maisenbacher, who said she especially enjoyed working with Scott Flanigan, vice president for commercial lending and business development.
Flanigan, who has been a loan officer for 28 years, also lives in Pleasant Plains and serves on the board for the school district. He said Kardinal Kids will be a great asset for the community.
"This being a larger facility, it will allow buses to drop off and pick up there," said Flanigan. "The community has a huge need for it."
Flanigan said that the business loan was made easier by partnering with the state for the Advantage Illinois program, which helps guarantee loans to certain categories of borrowers. Kasi and Ryan are both veterans, which qualified them for the program, lowering their interest rate.
"We've been very excited. I'm always happy for all of my loans, but this is one that genuinely brings a smile to my face, for what Kasi and Ryan are providing for the community," said Flanigan.
"The biggest struggle was finding a place – either a building to flip or land," said Maisenbacher, who ultimately decided to go with new construction.
Kyle Killebrew, a broker with The Real Estate Group, sold the Maisenbachers the land for Kardinal Kids. His children formerly stayed with Maisenbacher when she provided in-home day care.
"It is important for people to understand it takes perseverance in building a facility like this," said Killebrew. "Kasi stepped up to the plate and is taking a risk to fill the void. It's really great for the people who need it."
Maisenbacher worked with architect Tim Smith, owner of Evan Lloyd Associates. She showed him some drawings she had done on scratch paper of how she wanted the building to look, "not commercial looking, but homey. He nailed it when he put it to scale," she said.
The facility, just under 7,000 square feet, broke ground on June 1. Joyner Construction was the general contractor.
Maisenbacher is hoping Kardinal Kids will qualify for the state's Community Child care Connection program, which subsidizes childcare payments for low-income families, but said the facility has to be open before they can start making those arrangements.
A public open house is scheduled for 4-6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 31. The facility officially opens Feb. 3 and will serve 80-90 children.
"We're almost there," remarked Maisenbacher on the facility jumping through the final bureaucratic hoops. "It's going to be such a good thing when it finally happens. We're very community-based people. We love to help and be involved."
Carey Smith loves the idea of creative play in the early childhood years.
Kardinal Kids is currently taking applications for enrollment. Families may call 217-747-8430 or email Maisenbacher at KardinalKidsDaycare@gmail.com with the child's name, birthdate and a contact number to be added to the wait list.
