Fired Day Care Director Starts Her Own Business – Community rallies in support
A day care director fired for giving the DeJoode family free day care after a deadly crash last year is now opening her own day care center.
Shelley Huss plans to open Creative Kids Learning Center in Ankeny in less than two weeks.
Work is still under way to get the center on Southeast Delaware Avenue ready for opening day.
“It’s really a dream come true even though I did not know it was a dream until April,” said Huss.
Huss was fired from Childtime in Ankeny after nearly 22 years. The company said she was fired for giving free child care to Chase DeJoode after his brother and sister were killed and his mother seriously injured in a crash in May of 2010.
“There is no doubt I would do the same exact thing. I would do it over and over again if needed,” said Huss.
When you do the right thing, good things happen
Huss said her new day care will have room for 150 children ages 2 to 12. Huss said only 30 spots are still open as the center prepares to open.
“Ankeny is growing bigger and bigger all the time, but yet it is still a small town mentality. People really do care about each other and it makes me thankful I live in a community that cares,” said Huss. “Sometimes it makes me almost cry. I feel like I just made a decision in my heart. Sometimes when you make a decision, you don’t realize the impact.”
The day care center is scheduled to open on Aug. 1.
