When Maranda and Mike Donnelly of Pembroke sought childcare for their two kids, they struggled to find available spots nearby.

They took matters into their own hands.

“We own a duplex and my sister had moved out, so we had this empty space and I was like, ‘Well, we need childcare, let’s do it ourselves,’ ” Maranda said.

They set about finding staff and working on licensing. Before they knew it, they had a 12-child daycare attached to their home.

“That’s kind of our motto, when we want something done, we just do it,” Maranda said. “I just created it out of necessity for my family, and it proved to be helpful for others.”

In the past five years, the childcare center, called It Takes A Village, has since expanded to several locations throughout the area, including Derry, Windham, two locations in Goffstown, and soon Allenstown. Mike and Maranda, who have been together since they were 16, left their day jobs to dedicate themselves full-time to It Takes A Village. Mike was an engineer and Maranda worked as a math teacher at Pembroke Academy.

“I never thought I’d leave teaching, let alone leave to be doing this,” Maranda said. “I always say, God’s plans are always greater than your own. That’s kind of how Mike and I feel. Our little life’s pretty basic. Then we’re just like, ‘Let’s just do this weird, crazy thing.’ ”

The Allenstown center, which will begin welcoming children in early- to mid-October once the couple puts on the finishing touches, is housed in the former Sunrise Baptist Church on Pinewood Road.

“Just driving by, I remember saying to myself, ‘That building’s going to come for sale and would be perfect for childcare someday. And one day it was there,’ Mike said.

He led the renovation of the building with the help of his father, a plumber. They constructed classrooms and painted the walls bright shades of blue, yellow, and green.

Operating six childcare centers across five towns, the Donnellys must navigate a whole host of logistics on a daily basis. One of the biggest challenges thus far has been staffing.

“When we started, pretty much every center was at full capacity and that’s the reason why there was no care options,” Mike explained. “Now we’re finding centers are at capacity because they don’t have staff to fill their buildings. That’s where we’re at now. If we can’t find enough staff, we can’t provide enough options for families.”

They have the capacity to care for a total of 236 children across their five open centers. However, they have needed to keep enrollment lower than full capacity because of the statewide shortage of daycare staff.

Over 53,000 children ages six and younger live in New Hampshire, but only 31,000 childcare spots exist as of March 2024, according to the state’s Community College System, which just launched an apprenticeship program to train future childcare professionals. The program aims to increase staffing across the state so that facilities can offer more openings to families.

Launched as the Registered Early Childhood Director Apprenticeship Program, this initiative, approved by the U.S. Department of Labor, marks the first in the nation. Apprentices qualify for scholarship funds to offset the cost of their education, in addition to receiving compensated job training and mentorship.

“We know with COVID that early childhood [care] became a critical need in the state, and it became very evident what that need was. Early childhood had a strong spotlight put on it because of that need. We’ve gotten a great amount of support financially and politically in that short time frame,” said Diana Menard, chair of the early childhood department at NHTI, which looks forward to implementing the program and encouraging more students to pursue the childcare profession.

Mike and Maranda have used state grants to help offset the costs of operating their daycare centers. Some grants are specifically allocated toward compensating workers, whereas others focus on facility maintenance and upgrades. The couple remains dedicated to making daycare affordable and accessible while also wanting their workers to feel valued and receive wages that match that sentiment. They hope that their supportive, mission-driven work environment, in addition to benefit packages, flexible schedules, and bonuses, provide incentives for hiring and retaining staff.

Cheri Vinal, director of one of the Goffstown centers, emphasized the financial challenges facing the childcare industry.

“It’s a lot for parents but it’s not enough for the childcare staff,” Vinal said. “That’s what makes it so hard to retain staff because this job is hard. I love my parents and I love my families but they don’t see – or the community or anybody else – the blood, sweat, and tears it takes to make sure our kids are thriving and living their best life.”

Vinal highlighted her passion for the mission of It Takes A Village and described how the staff across the centers feel like one big family.

“We’re here to help the children grow physically and emotionally, in a safe, loving, playful environment. That’s how children learn. They learn as they play,” she added.

The staff of It Takes A Village sometimes work from different locations depending on the needs of a given center. If some children are out sick at one center and another center needs an extra helping hand that day, Maranda and Mike will swap people into different classrooms. The flexibility of their staff and the proximity of their locations provide a safety net for the business they’ve built.

“It sort of helps us as a company stabilize,” Mike explained.

Maureen Bird, the director of the new Allenstown center, looks forward to the doors opening soon. She especially wants to support her staff and create a stimulating and nurturing environment for the children.

“Most people think daycare’s a babysitting job and it’s not,” Bird said. “The first five years of your child’s life are the most important. That’s when your child’s brain develops and their personality.”

It Takes A Village fosters curiosity from a young age and helps children connect with the world around them.

“We don’t just put the babies in swings and high chairs,” she added. “We actually develop their brains by serve and return and talking to them constantly. It builds their vocabulary; even though they can’t talk yet, they can understand things.”

The business strives to give back to the communities the centers serve.

“I really want to create a village and be a support system for families, and whether they’re the families that attend our program or they’re the moms and dads who work with us, I really want us to just be able to provide for people and support everyone. I just really hope if our center is thriving, that means our community is thriving,” Maranda said.

Rachel Wachman can be reached at rwachman@cmonitor.com