MONETA, Va. – Heavenly Hands opened a new childcare facility in downtown Moneta on Monday morning. They are offering tours of the location and accepting applications. It’s located on Town Circle Way and offers childcare for children 6 weeks to 12 years old. This includes before and after-school care.
Heavenly Hands is not your ordinary childcare center. They teach a STEM curriculum, teach sign language classes and have a physical fitness program. Children can participate in different sports and take yoga and dance classes. They also focus on nutrition and healthy eating by having children grow their own garden with herbs and vegetables.
Eboni Watlington, the director of operation said they try to pour into the children’s lives as much as they can.
“They have school to teach them by the books and anything, but we really just want to see the children’s gifts and we try to expand that within themselves. If we see a child who has a gift, we try to help little engineers and you can see it young,” said Watlington. “So we really try to work that into them at a young age.”
Heavenly Hands also teaches children small business principles and helps children come up with their own small businesses.
This opening comes at a time when childcare is in desperate need, especially in Bedford County. The Bedford County Economic Development Office has reported a severe shortage of childcare providers. They are offering two surveys to see what families’ needs are. One is for parents and guardians of children aged 0-13 and the other is one for employers whose workforce may be impacted by lack of available childcare.
Watlington said she hopes their new facility will help families who are struggling to find childcare.
“We are just blessed that we could come out and help and open that need for the people here. But we have seen where loss of jobs or not being able to work because they don’t have childcare,” said Watlington.
The downtown Moneta location will be open weekdays from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. This is Heavenly Hands’ second location. Their first one is in Lynchburg and offers 24-hour care.