Connect
To Top

Exploring Life & Business with Amanda Ketchum of Wee Kids Daycare

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Ketchum

Amanda, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I started my childcare business in November of 2016. We are celebrating our 8th year in business at the end of this month! We have an in home high quality childcare facility. We are also partners with a wonderful program called the “Early Head Start Family Childcare Partnership.” Through our work, we are able to provide high quality childcare for many children in our community! This work has been my passion.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not always been a smooth road. Being in business for yourself has it’s own challenges, with bookkeeping and long hours. Over the years we’ve had to address the living space, as it’s shared by my family too. The work we do is so important for our community, which is why we’ve committed to these long days! I’ve had staffing issues, and of course the pandemic really took a toll on us. The phrase we hear in childcare is “we don’t do this for the pay” which is certainly so true. I advocate on a broad level for better pay for all childcare workers and teachers!

We’ve been impressed with Wee Kids Daycare, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I started this business because I had young children at home for the summer. When I tried to find a job to support our family, I called around to see what it would cost for our kids to go during the day while I worked. After many phone calls, it was very apparent that going back to work would defeat the cost of paying for our children to be watched by someone else. I went through the licensing process, and Wee Kids opened at the end of November of 2018. At that time, there was the opportunity to also partner with our Intermediary School District, with the Early Head Start Family Childcare Partnership. This opportunity enabled us to learn about what high quality childcare should look and feel like. Through this partnership, we are able to offer high quality childcare free to families that qualify! Over the years, we have been voted “Best of the Best” for Michiana. I’m so proud of the work we do, and it shows when the families keep coming back to us with more of their children. Recently, I was slated as a student candidate for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) governing board. Here I hope to encourage more childcare providers like me to strive to be a high quality facility, because that is what will change our label from “babysitters” to teachers. We educate the most important population of children, through some of the most important years of their development. It is my mission to make sure every provider knows their value and how important their work is! I also am a photographer on the side, and sometimes we offer our families mini sessions so everyone has a nice family photo! My photography business is “Peanut Butter Photography” and I’ve been doing that as a hobby/side gig for about 5 years now! On top of all of that, I am also a student at Central Michigan University. I am studying for my bachelors degree for PreK-3 teaching with Special Education. In one of my classes I wrote and published my own children’s book: “Is This My Farm?”

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I really think it is important to be an active part of your community. We try to be a part of many events within our community, as well as partnering with one another to get our voice out about our program. What has worked well for me is to make sure that other providers feel seen and heard, and I offer advice and help when I can. I think it’s important to build that community within others as well.

Contact Info:

Suggest a Story: VoyageMichigan is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More in Local Stories