Mindy's Clubhouse child care now open

 The waiting list for child care in the community just got a little shorter.

 Mindy's Clubhouse, a group child care licensed for up to 30 children, opened in downtown New Rockford last Monday. Owned by Scott and Mindy Skjerva, It's located inside the city-owned Brown Memorial building on Central Avenue.

 Child care has been a top priority for the New Rockford Area Betterment Corporation (NRABC) since at least 2018. A variety of options have been explored and programs implemented to help fill the need in the community. A few new in-home providers have cropped up, but nothing to the scale of the facility that closed in 2014.

 The idea to convert the clubroom at the Brown Memorial into a child care business first came to city leaders in February. Now, less than a year later, the vision has become a reality.

 "It was just time to expand," Mindy said, when asked why she took the leap. As an in-home provider since 2020, she had received requests from parents looking for child care at least weekly for a while. "You don't realize how much it's needed," she added.

 New Rockford Area Betterment Corporation Executive Director Amanda Hegland had approached the Skjervas more than once with opportunities to grow. This fall, everything seemed to fall into place.

 From the public-private partnership that led to the lease of the space, to the work of contractors that made it suitable for use, this project was a local labor of love.

 The Skjervas are sub-leasing the space from NRABC. The owner of the building, the City of New Rockford, is covering the cost of utilities for the first year as part of its lease to NRABC.

 Rockford Plumbing did all the plumbing for the new child care center, including the new "family" bathroom built in a former coat closet. Local tradesman Gene Kaul did the carpentry and finish work on the new bathroom.

 Teves Construction of Carrington completed the kitchen renovations, including new countertops and flooring. The new flooring in the entryway and dining/craft area was also installed by Teves.

 Divide Electrical performed electrical upgrades, and will install the security system for the child care facility. The sign that welcomes families at the entry was made by Kutting Edge Designs.

 Funding for the renovations came in the form of a $62,000 regional workforce grant, for which Hegland successfully applied.

 The Skjervas have spent the last two months in tandem to pull it all together.

 "We work really well as a team," Scott said.

 The "nurturer," Mindy, has maintained her focus on the kids in her care. Meanwhile, Scott has undertaken a variety of operations and maintenance tasks, from paperwork and painting to software setup and furniture assembly.

 "It's been an adventure," Scott said.

 The Skjervas hosted an open house on Sunday, Dec. 11 to introduce families to the space and answer their questions. There was a steady stream of people throughout the afternoon.

 "I didn't expect that much interest," Mindy said of the turnout.

 Mindy's Clubhouse is licensed for up to 30 children, depending on staff and ratios, and Scott anticipates that they will fill the available slots very soon.

 Staff includes Christina Lund, who had been helping after school at Mindy's home and is now full-time. Kim Dockter, who is currently working part-time, will switch to full-time status in January. She will also have part-time and casual employees.

 The child care facility is open 7 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, with full-time, part-time, before/after school and drop-in care offered. For more information, go to the Mindy's Clubhouse Facebook page and look for the registration link, or call Mindy at 947-2338 or 302-0201.

 Locals should know that the auditorium will still be open for walkers from 7 - 10 a.m. and noon - 1:30 p.m. Monday to Friday. The child care center has use of the auditorium from 10 a.m. - noon and 1:30 - 3 p.m. on weekdays. The auditorium is also available for rent by contacting New Rockford City Auditor Becki Schumacher at (701) 947-2461.