Top City Small Business Awards | Patterson Family Child Care Center LLC
How did you get to where you are today with your business?
MELISSA: I’ve always had a love of children and watching them grow. Being a part of their early education was the inspiration to start my own family childcare business. We’ll be opening our second location, the Patterson Family Infant & Toddler Center LLC, soon. Tiara Patterson is in training to keep the business going and will be the director of the new center.
What motivated you to open your business in the Topeka area and how has the community impacted your growth and trajectory?
MELISSA: We moved back to Topeka in 2006. Anywhere you go throughout the world, there’s going to be a need for childcare. The thing about owning an early learning center is that children are everywhere. Over the years, we’ve grown from family child care to a child care center, and will now have a second location. The laughs, the hugs, the I Love Yous keep me going.
TIARA: What I enjoy most is being able to watch the kids grow and being able to tangibly see all of your work come to fruition. I work a lot with infants, so I love being able to watch them start crawling, start talking and growing in their environment.
What sets you apart from other businesses in your industry?
MELISSA: Our business is a ministry. If you’re doing your ministry and doing the work that the Lord has given you, it’s going to set you apart.
TIARA: We’re in it to win it. We’re in it because we love the kids and because we really want to create an environment where they feel safe and loved. Not just for the children, but for the whole family and the whole community.
TOP CITY SMALL BUSINESS OF THE YEAR WINNER
What did it mean to you and your team to win the Minority-Owned Small Business category and to also win the award for Top City Small Business of the Year?
MELISSA: It’s a great accomplishment to get recognized for something I started in 1997 that has blessed so many people. The hard work that the teachers put in daily is recognized and awarded. With God, all things are possible.
Winning this award is not just for me. It’s for the ones who have helped me to get to where I am. It’s also about leaving behind a legacy that Tiara is going to take over and keep going for years to come.
