Nonprofit child-care center thriving in Talkeetna

The only licensed, nonprofit child-care organization in the upper Susitna Valley is growing – and filling a growing need in the process. Established in 2004, Sunshine Station Child Care Center serves the 5,300 residents of the area around Talkeetna. Its target audience is working families with young children in need of safe, high-quality child-care services, nutritious meals, and developmental interventions.

The center is licensed to care for children ages 4 months to 12 years. Most kids currently enrolled are between 18 months and 4 years old, said SSCCC Director Kelsey DeMarce.

“Our trained, and qualified staff will help to foster positive self-image, mutual respect and affection,” she said. “Research shows that a child’s brain is 90% developed by the age of 5, so the years they spend in early childhood are essential to their growth and development. Creating an environment that is consistent and safe allows opportunities for our kids to thrive.”

An experienced elementary school teacher herself, DeMarce taught pre-kindergarten to grade 2 for 10 years in Title 1 schools before moving to Talkeetna in 2021. As the mother of a 10-month-old at the time, she quickly realized the need for better child-care in the area.

“I knew I had some of the skills necessary to provide an amazing day-care for our community,” she said.

That mission got a boost recently in the form of a $250,000 grant from the Mat-Su Health Foundation. The grant funded an expansion and renovation project that, in conjunction with an existing partnership with Sunshine Community Health Center, allowed the operation to change its licensing status from “group home” to “child care center” and to grow its capacity from 12 children daily to 26.

“This expansion has been monumental in allowing us the opportunity to serve more families in the community who require child-care services,” DeMarce said. “Without the support of the Mat-Su Health Foundation, this renovation would not have been possible.”

The Mat-Su Health Foundation shares ownership in the local hospital, the Mat-Su Regional Medical Center, ensuring it continues to grow and meet the needs of Mat-Su residents. The health foundation invests its share of the profits into scholarships, programs, and grants with the goal to improve community health.

Since 2008, MSHF has invested in a healthy community through grants, scholarships, and sponsorships totaling more than $106 million.

DeMarce said the impact of the grant on a small, rural community like Talkeetna is immense.

“As many day cares continue to close across the state and nationwide, the need for reliable child-care is a priority,” she said. “A safe, reliable environment for children to learn and grow in developmentally appropriate ways is a necessity. Teaching our littlest community members how to be successful communicators from an early age helps to foster successful citizens in the future.”