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MINNEOTA -- To meet the rising demand for more child care services, a Ghent child care center is close to opening a location in Minneota.
Jamie Gillund, who currently operates The Little Explorers Childcare Center, said the Minneota center will have a capacity of 100 children.
When she opened her first child care center in Ghent in 2021, within six months, the 62 spots were filled. The waitlist got as high as 100 families, and some families have been on the waitlist since the day the center opened.
After a while, Gillund said it became difficult to take in new families. Some families had been on the day cares waitlist since it opened, she said.
Gillund said the Minneota center is waiting on final inspections and health and fire licenses. Gillund said the new center is expected to open by mid-August.
Gillund has had a passion for baby-sitting and children since childhood. She decided to take her passion to SMSU, where she pursued a degree in teaching. However, after working at a childhood center in college, she fell in love, and later decided to switch majors to early childhood education.
"I love what I do," Gillund said. "I found what I was meant to do, every day is a joy."
Gillund currently employs 18 people at the Ghent center, which offers breakfast, arts and crafts, meals, naps and field trips.
The Southwest Regional Development Commission (SRDC) recently awarded Little Explorers Childcare Center in Ghent the 2026 SRDC Project of the year award.
"Through Jamie Gillund’s vision and dedication, Little Explorers has become a critical workforce solution for southwest Minnesota, allowing parents to remain employed while providing children with a safe, nurturing environment where they can learn and thrive," The SRDC said in a press release.
Gillund said she also received grants from the SRDC since she opened her center in Ghent. The center as also attracted the attention from business owners, mayors and county commissioners who have made visits to the center.
"I didn’t expect this at all," Gillund said. "It’s such a huge honor to receive this award."