Woman opens daycare with extended hours to help parents

RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. (KAIT) - With most daycares closing their doors sometime around 5 or 6, a Pope County woman decided to help out.

The Leap into Learning Childcare Center in Russellville is open from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day of the week, according to content partner KARK.

Owner Sherry Poynter said opening her own center has always been a dream, but she wanted her center to be one that really helped the community.

However, Poynter second-guessed her dream when daycare centers worldwide were forced to shut down due to COVID-19.

“Still kind of scared because they have a lot of rules and regulations. Right now, many of those have been lifted but they may come back,” she said.

Poynter said she stepped out on faith and purchased a building, but then higher prices struck.

“It’s getting real hard every time I go to the store and something is jacked up in prices,” she said.

Despite the challenges, Poynter told KARK she is pushing forward.

The current cost for the daycare is $125 a week, and as the number of kids grows, Poynter will be looking for more employees.

For more information on the daycare center, you can call 479-857-9115.