A Basehor-based child care center is looking to move into the old Dandelions and Mud Puddles location in Shawnee.
On May 20, the Shawnee Planning Commission voted 6-0 to approve a special use permit for Wild Oak Academy, an independent child care center, at 13811 W. 63rd St. Commissioners Amit Bhakta, Genise Luecke, Kathy Peterson and David Aber absent.
The business requires a special use permit because the site is in a Commercial Neighborhood zone, which is intended for retail and professional office space.
The business has one other location
Owned by Danial Wilson, Wild Oak Academy opened its original location in Basehor, Kansas, in 2023.
Working in child care for six years, Wilson started the center to help fulfill a need for quality, personalized child care in Kansas.
“The need for childcare is so great, and the need for quality care is so important,” Wilson said. “We really think that we can provide both pretty well.”
The facility will provide care for up to 118 children, from infants (0 months – 2 years) to pre-kindergarten (2 1/2 – 6 years). It will have 12 classrooms, with a teacher and an assistant in each class. The full-time staff will include a program director, teachers, assistants and a cook.
Pending Shawnee City Council approval, the business is scheduled to open on July 1.
Dandelions and Mud Puddles moved to a bigger location
Having been a tenant at the previous location for 14 years, Carrie Carter, owner and director for Dandelions and Mud Puddles Child Development Center, had a new facility built at 19620 W 65th Terrace.
“We rented for 14 years, and it was time to build our own facility,” said Carrie Carter, the school’s owner and director. “I wanted to stay within a two-mile radius (of the old location) when we started the search, and I think we made it to three miles.”
The larger facility includes an additional playground and flexible space for activities. It also expands the center to care for up to 204 students.
“There’s a great need (for child care),” Carter said. “We definitely were glad that we were able to accommodate some more families when we came here.”
Wild Oak Academy helps fulfill a need for child care
Since opening early enrollment for the center, Wilson said he’s been giving multiple tours a day to families at the facility, even though it’s under construction.
“It’s kind of seems like a war zone right now, as we are painting and fixing things and patching and building furniture,” he said. “But parents are still touring. We had three tours (on Friday).”
During its discussion of the special use permit, commissioners agreed that there is a continuing demand for child care in the area, and they’re glad another business is helping achieve it.
“I think there is a great need in the community with good, quality daycare,” said Commissioner Bruce Bienhoff. “It’s very good to see the building being utilized (and) it’s already configured to be a daycare, so that certainly helps us out there as well. I think it looks like a good use for the property.”
Shawnee City Council will take up the special use permit for the business at its meeting on June 10.
More Shawnee business news: Shawnee agrees to loan money to 2 new downtown businesses
