(Ramsey, MN,) — February 7, 2023 — Half of Minnesota childcare providers are unsure how long they’ll remain in business. Childcare options are drying up and families are struggling to get to work due to the lack of family daycare support. Even with the unpredictability of enrollment, hiring challenges, and inflation, sisters, Ginger Olson and Amy Steiner, opened their fifth Compass Child Care Center over the last year.
Communities from Isanti to Ramsey reap the benefits of a successful childcare business that started from one unified passion of providing quality care. Olson and Steiner, realizing the dire need families were facing, knew their passion could align into a community solution supporting families in finding care for their children and ultimately aiding the community workforce.
Compass Child Care opened its first location in Coon Rapids on October 3rd, 2017. When they opened their second location in Blaine on September 3rd, 2019, they were already 50-60% full. Indicating that their business plan was a solution to the immediate needs of their community.
A few months after opening their second location in Blaine, they acquired 2 more locations, one in East Bethel and one in Isanti. Isanti was already an operational business but transitioned to Compass officially in January 2020. Olson and Steiner knew that a company transition would be challenging for families, so they made slow updates and changes to the center, to ease the transition for families. Directors, Sam and Lisa, both worked at other locations before stepping in as management and have created an incredible trust with families at both acquired locations.
The determination of these dynamic sisters didn’t stop there, they knew that their community would still benefit from more quality childcare locations. After renovations and a long wait for licensing due to Covid, East Bethel was officially opened on July 13th, 2020.
On April 18th, 2022, a fifth location was opened in Ramsey. This newest location follows the Compass holistic approach to childcare, providing infant care, transition daycare, and toddler childcare, while children develop new skills through dramatic play, S.T.E.M., music, art, and relationship building.
Olson and Steiner have been ambitious to do what is best for their community by providing quality care for the children they serve. When asked about families searching for childcare, Steiner stated, “Finding a community to care for your child in your absence has to be one of the hardest parts of parenting young children. At Compass we understand that child care is much deeper than caring for children, it’s caring for families. Our heart is to care for and have a relationship with you as we build the foundation in the lives of children. It is an honor to be a part of a child’s life and it is something we don’t take for granted.”
Compass’ approach with employees is the foundation that their role is the most important job on the planet, as they teach future doctors, lawyers, engineers, and rocket scientists. Their staff is influencing the next generation and encouraging kindness, empathy, courage, and strength.
“In my opinion, there is no other profession or career that is more important than early childhood education. That might be arrogant or biased but there is nothing you can do to change my mind. So much of how we think, and how we learn and explore is developed before kindergarten. The lens we look at the world is being crafted by our young students and being a part of molding that is incredible,” said Steiner.
