New childcare center opens June 8 in Sikeston
FOX23 News at 9 p.m
SIKESTON, Mo. (KBSI) — A new childcare center is opening in Sikeston after local leaders, business advocates and educators spent months working to address what they describe as one of the region’s biggest workforce challenges.
Community members gathered Friday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Future Leaders Learning Academy, located on Southeast Missouri State University’s Sikeston Regional Campus. The center will officially open Monday, June 8.
The project grew out of concerns raised by employers across southeast Missouri, who repeatedly identified a lack of childcare as a barrier to hiring and retaining workers.
“We recognized that more and more of our employers were citing childcare as a reason for their workforce challenges,” said Marcie Lawson, president and CEO of Bootheel Progress with Partnership. “So, we really see this as an economic development issue, a workforce development issue.”
A regional childcare study later confirmed what many families and employers were already experiencing — limited childcare options, particularly for working parents.
The center is the result of a partnership between Bootheel Progress with Partnership, Southeast Missouri State University and local business owner Tiffany Harris.
Lawson said the project came together through collaboration among community partners who were willing to think creatively about solutions.
Future Leaders Learning Academy operates inside a previously unused childcare facility on SEMO’s Sikeston campus. Leaders say reopening the space allows the community to address an immediate need while creating opportunities for future growth.
Demetrius Murray, who helps support operations at the academy, said the project moved quickly once the partners came together.
“It went from a conversation to actually putting in the work immediately,” Murray said. “We’re here to serve Sikeston and the surrounding areas.”
The center will provide weekday care for children from infancy through school age from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Murray said staff will also offer flexibility for parents who may need additional pickup time. The program is designed to support working families while creating a strong educational foundation for children.
“It’s not really just a daycare,” Murray said. “It’s an educational foundation for children. It’s a beautiful curriculum that the community should take advantage of.”
Southeast Missouri State University Interim Provost Doug Koch said the partnership benefits both the community and the university.
“From the university standpoint, it’s a win-win-win,” Hodson said. “It allows our students to engage with younger children in the area and serve multiple needs.”
Harris thanked community leaders, university officials and supporters who helped bring the project to life. She said she looks forward to serving families in Sikeston and surrounding communities.
Enrollment remains open, with the center set to welcome its first families at 6 a.m. Monday, June 8.
To learn more visit FutureLeadersLearningAcademy.com.
