KSHB 41 reporter Megan Abundis covers Kansas City, Missouri, including neighborhoods in the southern part of the city. Share your story idea with Megan.
—
Kids in Christ Academy has been operating since 2007 and is flourishing in its new location off Troost and 39th Street.
The daycare center's success has been driven by dedicated staff members and a 5-year partnership with the Local Investment Commission (LINC).
"I'm still pinching myself. I thank God every day. I'm grateful," said Christina Puckett, owner of Kids in Christ Academy.
Puckett has worked in child care since 1989. She started her own business in 2007 at 42nd and Indiana.
"I love working with children; I love to see them grow," Puckett said.
The new facility has allowed significant expansion for the state-accredited center.
"We're doubling in numbers," Puckett said.
Puckett has room for 100 kids in the new space, which she said is ideal for early childhood education.
"The design is an early childhood educator dream," Puckett said.
Parents are enthusiastic about the new facility and its impact on their families.
"Now all of my kids are attending. The kids love it, I love it," said Rakylia Robinson, parent.
Robinson said the new space is bigger and cleaner than the last.
Another parent, Raven Parks, said she's also loving the new location.
"I love the transition, my kids do, too," she said. "The safety and the security that she provides is unmatched."
The center has been in the new location for two months, offering enhanced amenities for children.
"The kids have indoor and outdoor play. We're not on top of each other; we have space," Puckett said.
In a neighborhood that needs more child care options, Puckett is filling a crucial gap.
"It's been a blessing and joy to see where Christina first started and where she is now," Parks said.
The center's success is supported by a partnership with LINC, which has helped develop highly trained educators over the last five years.
"Trainings, weekly visits to the center, where we'd help the teachers with interactions, do observations," said Sarah Ramirez, LINC early childhood coordinator.
Puckett said the partnership helped her dreams flourish, as LINC's support and resources created high-quality education opportunities.
Teachers at the center appreciate the professional development opportunities.
"It's been amazing, honestly," said Ms. Heather, teacher. "Just new ideas. Very enlightening and helpful."
Parents see the results of quality education in the development of their children.
"They absolutely love it," Parks said. "I've been seeing a lot of growth with their development, the curriculum. Their teachers are doing an amazing job."
LINC's impact extends far beyond Kids in Christ Academy. Across Kansas City, LINC has worked with 50 daycare centers, training 1,200 teachers and impacting 410 educators through 2,468 visits to 120 classrooms since 2020.
Specifically at Kids in Christ, since 2020, LINC has conducted over 500 site visits, impacted over 75 children and 21 teachers, and provided more than 21 training sessions.
Ramirez addressed misconceptions about inner-city child care quality.
"I think a lot of times there's a stigma," Ramirez said. "Oh, cause it's inner-city, it might not be great education. That's false… There's so many gems in the inner city just waiting for children to have them in their center."
Kids in Christ Academy charges $180 per week for children 2 and up and $225 per week for infants, providing an affordable option in a market where child care can be difficult to find due to extensive waitlists.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
—
