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Hometown Heroes: Child care administrator gives back

Sanford Herald - 3/19/2017

March 19--SANFORD -- An aspiring nurse turned child care administrator hopes to use her business to implement positive social change.

Sanford native Ke'sha Ridges, 37, Chief Executive Officer of Luxury Learning, uses her role as a child care administrator to give back to the community.

"Growing up in Sanford, I was very involved in my community," said Ridges. "I had so many teachers and so many mentors that poured into my life."

Ridges attended The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she was on track to become a nurse, but had her son during the senior year in college and decided to make a change.

"It was hard for me to find quality child care," said Ridges. "I started volunteering at a center providing therapy for children with special needs as a discount because I couldn't afford the child care. I loved it."

Ridges graduated with a bachelors degree in nursing and early childhood minoring in African American studies and Spanish. Ridges opened her first childcare center in December 2013 and opened a second center in July 2015.

"I took a leap of faith," said Ridges. "I served in childhood at different levels, but this is the first time I am able to give back to my community."

Ridges partners with other child care agencies, both non-profit and for-profit, and provides training when they are having issues with their children.

"I'm just trying to promote that it is not competitive and we need to partner together," said Ridges. "If we can partner together we can benefit the whole community not just everybody in their little box."

Through her business, community partnerships and board involvement, Ridges promotes a family-oriented lifestyle through developmental screenings, parent education and therapy.

"Our motto is 'join our family, join our lifestyle,'" said Ridges. "We want to ensure that all the children in our community are being impacted."

Ridges offers jobs to parents of her children to provide them with a transitional position while they are trying to become self-sufficient.

"Once they come in here, if they don't have basic job skills we teach them about professionalism," said Ridges. "We don't make a lot of money in early childhood development, but when you see that child reach those milestone and when you see that parent become self-sufficient, it makes it all worth it."

Luxury Learning holds community events outside of the realm of child care as well to raise money to provide child care assistance and scholarships to families in need.

"It's just to promote positivity," said Ridges. "We are trying to let people know we really do more than just child care."

Reach Staff Writer Michelle Bir at 919-718-1229 and on Twitter at @Michelle_Bir.

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(c)2017 The Sanford Herald (Sanford, N.C.)

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