C OMMUNITY PAR TNER S
by Charlotte Kovalchuk • charlotte@myjarrell.com photos by Christianna Bettis Photography
Loving, Christ-Centered Education AT KIDS' ZONE LEARNING CENTERS
Rashad, TJ, Hayden & Tripp
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ince taking over leadership of Kids’ Zone Learning Center, Whitney Hicks has striven to follow her mom’s motto, “You must win a child’s heart before you win their mind.” The child care center aims to accomplish that mission through a close-knit family atmosphere and Christ-centered education at every location in Jarrell and Georgetown. Whitney describes herself as a steward of her parents’ dream of building child care centers throughout her local communities. Donna and Steve Brown opened the first Kids’ Zone in Salado in 2000 and have added three locations along the I-35 corridor in northern Williamson County. Both brought unique skills to the table—Donna, who taught public school for 25 years, cared for the children while Steve added his business know-how.
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SECOND GENERATION Six months after Whitney returned home from college at Texas A&M University, her mom was diagnosed with lung disease pulmonary fibrosis and passed away in 2015. “God brought me back to Central Texas because He knew I would be needed to help with the business,” says Whitney, who now owns Kids' Zone.
the door,” she says. She adds that Kids’ Zone loves more than just the children, “My mission in life is to love my employees and make sure if they’re well-loved, they’ll love the kids we serve as well.”
Almost 90 staff members have joined her in carrying on Donna’s legacy of caring for children in a loving Christian environment. “Our main goal is that we run these businesses like Mom would,” Whitney says. That means keeping Kids’ Zone a close-knit family. “We are not a corporate place. We know every single person who walks through
Harper
