Merrimack Couple Preparing to Open Preschool/Daycare

A Merrimack couple disappointed by the closure of their children's preschool has taken the opportunity to start their own business housed, at least for the time being, in the space where their children's school, Perfect Balance, used to be.

Tracy and Fred Carl, six-year residents of Merrimack, are eying a February opening for Children's Quest Academy, a school and day care for children between the ages of 2 and 6 years old.

On Wednesday afternoon, sitting in the front office of the former Perfect Balance Preschool, Tracy Carl said she and her husband were devastated when they learned their children's school was closing. They loved the staff and the learning environment there – especially because it was longer than just a two-hour program as many preschools are for young children.

“The thing that made Perfect Balance such an awesome school is it was family-owned and they were very caring. It wasn't about the money, it was about the kids,” Tracy Carl said.

It's something they hope to emulate when the doors open, she said, talking about the importance of being part of a community like Merrimack.

Fred, having just obtained his MBA from Babson College in May, and Tracy, a stay-at-home mom with a background in child care and a desire to get back into the working world, came up with a plan to not only meet their children's varied educational needs, but to fill a help meet a need in town for a daycare with an educational program in the middle of the day.

It will be housed temporarily in the back corner space of the Merrimack Village Mall – where the D.W. Diner is located – while the Carls work with builders and the town on a permanent and larger location at the northern end of Daniel Webster Highway.

Children's Quest Academy is a combination toddler program, preschool, prekindergarten and daycare that will eventually include a kindergarten program when the doors open at their permanent home – hopefully in September, Tracy Carl said.

School will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and there will be a before and after school daycare component for parents who need an early drop-off or late pickup to accommodate their own work schedules. Hours will likely run even later when they open their permanent home, Carl said.

“We want that ability to give parents choices, especially working parents,” Tracy said of joining a slate of other preschool options in the area. Primarily, they want to be able to offer an affordable, fun and educational environment for working families to send their children without having to break the bank paying separately for school and daycare.

It was the cost of daycare for their children, after all, that pushed Carl to leave her job at Lesley University to stay home with the kids.

The school she said, is not a Montessori School, but will definitely have components of Montessori teaching.

“Every child is unique and so are we,” she said, quoting a section on their website and relating it to her three sons who learn each in very different ways.

She said she doesn't expect kids to learn the same way, so having one lesson plan to teach all children doesn't work for her. Carl, who has her degree in psychology and sociology worked in daycare and preschool settings through college and is a former camp counselor. She is also the former President of the now disbanded Greater Nashua Mothers Club and a current member of Merrimack Friends and Families. She said she'd like to become certified in Montessori, but is focusing right now on getting their business running.

Neither of the Carls will be working in the classroom, however, as Fred will manage the business and financial side of it while Tracy will be the in-school owner where she will work closely with a to-be-hired director. They are also hiring up to three teachers to run each of the classrooms. She said they could get by with two teachers with the director leading one of the classrooms. While they are approved for 40 children, Carl said class sizes will be small – up to six in the toddler room, up to 12 in preschool and up to 15 in prekindergarten.

“I will be here every day, working with the director,” Carl said. “We're don't want to just hand it over to someone else.”

Right now, the opening date is uncertain as they await delivery of the rest of their furniture and get the building set up. They cannot apply for their licenses until their health and fire inspections are complete, which are contingent upon the set up of the building.

Carl said she's hopeful they'll be ready to open by the beginning of February but knows that it could be later in the month.

Right now, they are taking pre-enrollments until such a time they are ready to finalize enrollment status. They will add interested families to the list.

Anyone interested in learning more and enrolling their children in the program or to apply for a job with Children's Quest Academy can call 603-377-7638, email info@childrensquest.com, visit childrensquest.com or find Children's Quest on Facebook.

I'm excited to get back to the working world,” Carl said. “It will be nice to get out and feel like I'm contributing something, especially to this community.”