Partnership leads to opening of after-hours childcare center
After nearly three years of planning, an after hour childcare center will soon be opening in Brevard. An agreement has been reached between Tore Borhaug, president of Tore’s Home, and Karen Shelton, owner of Karen’s Kidz, to provide after-hour childcare services. According to Shelton, priority will be given to employees of Tore’s Home with plans to expand operations to
include the community. The childcare center, licensed as a Family Child Care Home, will be located next to Tore’s Home facilities on Gallimore Road in Brevard. It is open to children 2-12 years old. Borhaug has, through LIFT Holdings, LLC, provided the financing and start-up support including the building and operational funds for the first phase of the center.
“It has been a dream of mine for many years to open my own childcare center. I learned that Tore was looking to assist somebody to start their own business and that he would provide all necessary funding to realize my dream,” Shelton said. “I am extremely excited about this opportunity and cannot wait to admit our first child.”
The childcare center is an important part of a greater plan by Borhaug developed over the last five years to help the community. His plan calls for overcoming obstacles to employment that were identified through research and interviews with employees. The top three obstacles that were determined included: lack of sufficient affordable workforce housing, after-hour childcare and transportation. Once these obstacles were identified, a strategic plan was developed to either fix the obstacles or manage them better. Transportation to and from work for employees of Tore’s Home was implemented several years ago. Additionally, nearly a dozen affordable housing units for Tore’s Home employees were added, with new units currently under construction.
“After-hours childcare will play a crucial role in giving our employees a ‘hand up’ in overcoming the daily struggles of being able to provide a living for their families while at the same time being able to provide care for the elderly in our community, which is a major economic development issue,” Borhaug said.
Tore’s Home was established in 1996 and provides senior living including assisted living Alzheimer’s and memory care, extended care, end-of-life care and respite care. Facilities are located in Brevard and Flat Rock.
Shelton has almost 20 years of experience in working with children and has assisted in the licensure of several childcare centers and been the assistant director of such centers for several years. She also has her associates degree in early childhood education and is currently in the process of obtaining her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.
For more information, contact Tore Borhaug at (828) 884-5007 or by email at tore@toreshome.com.
