Nifty Nanny carves out niche in child care

This fall, Vivienne Yeagy decided not to return to teaching in favor of growing her own child-care business, Nifty Nanny.

"I really wanted to be able to invest my time in the families of Durango," she said.

Rather than focusing on early childhood care for toddlers and preschoolers, Yeagy has carved out a niche caring for school-aged children because she enjoys taking them on frequent field trips, she said.

For years, Yeagy provided babysitting, but in the fall of 2014 it evolved into a formal child-care business. At the same time, she started working as a full-time substitute for Durango School District 9-R.

She has a degree in education from Fort Lewis College, but much of the philosophy that guides her business comes from being home-schooled.

Since she didn't have a permanent space for Nifty Nanny, she would meet with her charges at the Smiley Building and go on field trips and play with them outside.

As Nifty Nanny grew, Yeagy offered summer camps, child-care on snow days and other school vacations.

"It just kept growing and growing," she said.

During the 2015-16 school year, she worked as a full-time teacher at Park Elementary, but she found she preferred her business and realized she could support herself without teaching.

"It was more draining, than life giving," she said of teaching.

This month, she opened a space in the Smiley Building to meet with her students. Previously, when the weather was bad she met with her students in the lobby of the building.

She has a license for up to 20 children and she can care for 15 children at a time. But she believes a ratio of five students to one teacher provides a more quality experience. She has two part-time employees to keep the ratio low.

There is high-demand for early childhood care in La Plata County, and Yeagy would like to branch out eventually and offer care for younger ages.

But for now, she is happy with the business' growth.

"I am still trying to wrap my head around this blessing," she said.

mshinn@durangoherald.com