small wonders

WORDS : AUBREY TYSON PHOTOGRAPHY : MIKE SMITH

For Lynnette Lein, president and founder of Small Wonders Preschool and Child Care Center, working with children has remained her passion project for thirty years.

Since March of 1999, Lein has been building a business based on faith and a dedication to connecting with children in a meaningful way.

Lein's strong educational background in marriage and family therapy and child development, along with strong faith and commitment to families and children, resulted in the creation of Small Wonders. Lein and her team joined together in a mission of providing a positive service and doing what is best for the community.

"We would be absolutely nothing without our team,” says Lein. “Everyone shares in the same belief of God. This belief has brought us all together, with a joint mission to do what's best for the community. We work together as a team to help raise kids while offering our support to guide towards balanced parenting while creating stable and positive family dynamics."

Lein feels blessed to have had the same strong team of people who have been with her from the beginning. She credits this to the family bond shared among the team members, families and children who attend any one of the three Small Wonders centers.

"All of our centers offer the same programs, with a Christian-based focus,” says Lein. “We offer full-day early childhood, pre-K programs and school-age programs for children aged six weeks to twelve years old."

The Small Wonders team works hard to build lasting bonds with the parents and their children who attend their facilities. Taking their jobs seriously, they offer parents the opportunity to connect with teachers and other employees throughout the day.

"Parents have said, if we have a question or a problem, you and your team take it to heart. You never make us feel like we are not validated. You make sure that no matter what it is, it gets fixed. This statement means a lot to my team and me. We value how our parents feel and make sure every one of them knows if they want to call me at any time with a concern, I welcome the call," adds Lein.

Lein's compassion and care for children go beyond the childcare facilities to her work within the Fargo-Moorhead community.

"Ever since I opened the doors to my first location, I knew I wanted to do something special for the kids,” says Lein. “Living in the country, I decided bringing children out to the country would be the perfect way to provide a new experience. I am blessed to offer multiple field trips to our pre-K and school-aged classrooms to visit my ‘farm’ to feed the horses, collect toads, to pick pumpkins and enjoy nature. This is truly a special bond that I have with the children, as I have been told that children remember this field trip for years. When I see former Small Wonders students in their teens and older, they still tell me how much they loved and remember visiting the farm."

With their constant support, faith-based curriculum and dedicated team members, Small Wonders, a staple in the Fargo-Moorhead community, is proud to have served families for the past twenty-one years.