Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Lloyd.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Jessica Lloyd, and my husband Spencer and I are the proud owners of CLA. We met in our undergraduate program and both worked as Music Therapists for a time before he went on to earn his Master’s in Social Work and I in Business Administration.
I grew up in a home where learning was valued and expected, and dreams were honored. After considering leaving the Early Childhood Education field to further my education, I opted to stay and create something unique for my own children. We founded the Creative Learning Academy of Utah in July 2015.
We now have three little girls of our own. One of our daughters has some health challenges, and we were told that she may not meet various developmental milestones. Her dedicated childcare teachers believed in her potential, worked with her tirelessly each day, and helped her meet these milestones. We attribute her early success to the tenacity of her toddler teachers.
I realized that my purpose in this field was to pay forward the confidence I received as a child while recreating the incredible experience we had as parents in a high-quality center. It is our personal mission to create a place where children are cherished and to lead a caring team of teachers who believe fully in the potential of each child.
This mission has led us to expand our reach to 5 locations across Salt Lake Valley.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Caring for kids is anything BUT a smooth road! My husband and I always wanted children but were unable to get pregnant for several years. We became foster parents for a time before completing fertility treatments to have our own biological children. I previously mentioned one of our daughter’s health problems and she went through several surgeries and differing treatments, some ongoing to this day.
When our oldest was just 2-years-old, and our twins 6 months old we found ourselves with the opportunity to start Creative Learning Academy, despite the “bad timing” for us personally. My husband had also started a new job which required him to travel all over the State, often spending the night. Starting CLA with such a young family was a huge challenge, and I spent many days working a double shift (working during the day at the center, and then going home and working again after my children were asleep – or staying up with children that wouldn’t sleep)!
Despite our crazy start, we have quickly grown from one center to five centers in just 6 years! We have definitely had some growing pains as we have tried to meet the increasing demand for quality childcare. I have learned the value of having the right people in the right seats, and have some amazing leaders who help propel CLA forward.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Childcare in Utah traditionally has gotten a bad rap. Perhaps some of that is merited since there are a lot of centers out there that are run by well-intentioned people who may not have the resources or knowledge pertaining to running a business. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to have a high-quality childcare center that I myself would be comfortable leaving my children at. To do this, I earned my MBA and found ways to access funding in order to create a clean updated environment and quality toys and educational materials for the children, all while offering fair and competitive wages to employees.
I intentionally chose the word ‘creative’ as part of the business name. Both my husband and I come from a musical background so we understand the value of the arts and of learning being appealing to children in a fun and creative way. CLA has an evidence-based curriculum with an emphasis on child-directed play across aspects of science, technology, engineering, arts, and music.
Another aspect that sets CLA apart is our commitment to a collaborative partnership with families. I believe we have the biggest impact by ensuring we are an integral part of the “village” that helps raise each child. To do this we really strive for open and ongoing communication with parents. We have an app that allows parents to see pictures and videos of what their child is doing that day.
It gives them details about diaper changes and feedings and we can instantly communicate any concerns. We also believe Parent-Teacher Conferences are important in working with parents to best support their children.
Contact Info:
- Email: mychildcareutah@gmail.com
- Website: clautah.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clautah.cre8ive/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CLAUtah
Image Credits
Pointe Digital Photography & Videography
