Business Booms for Joy Kids Learning Center

Though there have been a rash of business closings in Edgewater as of late, there are still some local businesses that are thriving, including Joy Kids Learning Center on Mayo Road. 


The licensed Christian child care facility—which rents space from Joy Reigns Lutheran Church, but is unaffiliated—opened just under 18 months ago and continues to grow. Owners Melissa Fullerton and Kenneth Graham looking to expand even more in the next few years. 

Fullerton and Graham met at Joy Reigns Lutheran Church, where they are both parishioners. After spending a few years home with his son, Graham was looking for child care options and found them lacking.

Knowing Fullerton had a child care and education background, Graham approached her about starting a child care center. His business know-how and Fullerton's child care center operations knowledge, proved to be a winning combination. 

When the center launched in June of last year, they had four children enrolled. Within six months, the class was full with several more children wait listed for a spot, Fullerton said. 

"The demand is definitely here," Fullerton said. 

So much so that Joy Kids opened a second classroom in August and now has a total of 32 kids enrolled with space for five more. 

The center has two classrooms—one for ages 2 to 3 and one for ages 4 to 5—and offers an extended day for working parents with hours from 6:45 a.m. to 6 p.m. They also offer partial schedules for parents who work part-time, so students can attend only two or three days a week.

What's the secret to Joy Kids' success?

"We treat our kids' families like we are all one big family," Allerton said, and this had lead to several referrals and a good reputation in the community.

"Parents are happy and they tell their friends and neighbors," she said.

Allerton and Graham also credit the center's business model and their teachers, staff and innovative curriculum offerings, which include Spanish language instruction once a week, a weekly gym program called Jump Bunch, chapel and music classes.

Going forward, Graham say they'd like to find a larger space—possibly in a Christian church with Sunday school classrooms—that they could rent so they could expand class offerings. They would also consider operating a child care center in a business, that would serve as a benefit to employees of the company. 

Joy Kids Learning Center is located at 35 Mayo Road in Edgewater. For more information on enrollment and class offerings, check its website.