Business Profile: Westside Kids Opened in Waukee to Serve Families

Cindy Vokes remembers how difficult it was to find child care when her grandchildren were born.

Most of the places Vokes looked into had at least a two-year waiting list, and others weren’t close to Waukee, where Vokes lives. So when her daughters, Erika Shepherd and Erin Moorhead, approached her about opening a child-care center of their own in Waukee, Vokes signed on, and Westside Kids was born.

The business, which opened in 2005, has grown over the years, and last year, Vokes and her daughters moved into a new building at 255 N.E. Dartmoor Drive. With over 100 kids enrolled at the facility, the new location is already full.

“Everything made sense about the move,” Vokes said. “It’s bigger, cheaper, nicer, and it’s ours.”

The building, which is spread out over 1.5 acres, has plenty of room for kids to run. Westside Kids accepts children as young as 6 weeks, and offers a preschool. They also provide transportation from several Waukee elementary schools for their afterschool programs.

In addition to the large playground and the grassy area outside, there’s also an indoor gym to give kids a space to play even when the weather is inclement.

“If these kids aren’t tired and worn out by the end of the day, then my teacher’s aren’t doing something right,” Vokes said.

Treating her customers like family is something that Vokes prides herself on and something that she believes sets her apart from her competitors.

The family atmosphere at Westside Kids is what drew Michelle McKeever to Westside Kids. Her daughter, Danielle, 2, has been at Westside Kids since she was 10 weeks old. The first time she met with the staff at Westside Kids McKeever knew that it was the right place for her daughter.

“I really like the people here, the teachers really take an interest,” McKeever said. "Some of the other places seemed like a business, this was a family.”

Initially Shepherd and Moorhead wanted to open the center in 2000, but Vokes, who has a degree in small business management, was hesitant. Vokes told her daughters they needed to get some child-care experience, something that she believes has contributed to the success of the business.

Vokes admitted that working with her daughters was challenging at first, but now she can’t imagine doing it any other way.

“It’s really nice to have them here,” Vokes said. “I know it means as much to me as it does to them.”

The family atmosphere that comes from working with her daughters is something that Vokes cherishes. She isn’t interested in expanding her business, insisting that it’s the perfect size for her and her daughters to run.

“We’re still small enough that we know everyone’s name,” Vokes said. “I believe that if we stay the size that we are, we’ll run the business instead of the business running us.”