Basic Beginnings joined the BBB for one main reason—the word “trust.”
“When you talk about trust, we are in a position where people put extreme trust in us. (BBB’s) trust principles are living, breathing parts of our operation,” said Jan Lawrence, co-owner and director of Basic Beginnings.
Basic Beginnings, a child care center and preschool program with two locations in Laramie, is a BBB accredited business and past Torch Awards winner with the BBB Serving Northern Colorado and Wyoming.
Just like its local BBB, Basic Beginnings is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2023. Basic Beginnings had its “beginnings” when Kerry Greaser, the other co-owner, saw an increasing number of families with two working parents and wanted to create an environment that met his high expectations for his own children. Lawrence joined him before the business opened as a music teacher, later becoming a lead teacher and director in 1993.
To continue to grow the business, Greaser and Lawrence added an infant care program in 2001 and a second facility, Basic Beginnings South, in 2011 to help alleviate the need for child care in Laramie—the first is Basic Beginnings North.
Basic Beginnings provides child care for children ages six weeks up to 12 years through various programs, operating 11.5 hours a day. The programs start out with infant care, which is for children 6 weeks to 1 year, and toddler care for ages 1-3.
“Lots of people provide child care but don’t necessarily take care of infants and toddlers like we do,” Lawrence said. “Infant care is intensely parent-driven and fits what the parent wants. Toddler care is more play-based learning. It’s when children are learning to walk and talk, and they become independent beings, and they have opinions and they tell you ‘no’ all the time.”
Basic Beginnings operates a preschool for ages 2.5 years to kindergarten. State certified, it’s partly funded through the Wyoming Department of Education and is one of 12 WDE preschool programs in Wyoming. The preschool is taught by degreed and certified teachers who follow an emergent curriculum.
“That means it actually considers what the children are interested in, and the teachers create activities around what the kids are excited about,” Lawrence said. “The teachers are mindful of what the kids need to learn at that age before they get to kindergarten.”
For older children, Basic Beginnings offers an after-school program, transporting them from their school site to receive homework help and engage in play activities.
Basic Beginnings’ programs are operated by 80 staff to serve up to 320 children, the total number the center is licensed to serve.
“Early childhood is an unusual business,” Lawrence said. “It is very heavily regulated. Most early childhood business that begin do not last, especially during COVID.”
Basic Beginnings is accredited through the National Association for the Education of Young Children in Washington, D.C., and is one of 24 programs in the state to receive the accreditation.
“We expect a lot of our business and a lot out of our staff,” Lawrence said. “When you expect a lot out of your staff, that includes teachers, assistants and infant care providers, you have to provide really intense, high-quality training.”
The training is what gets a lot of attention for Basic Beginnings, such as a nomination for the Torch Awards in 2012—the center joined as a member a year later after meeting with BBB staff.
“We decided this is an organization we want to be part of,” Lawrence said. “We get parents who inquire about our services, choose our services, specifically because we are an accredited business.”
That’s because parents want to leave their children with somebody they trust, Lawrence said.
“Since that really is an important part of our operation, it has become part of who we are to be part of BBB. It fits with our mission,” Lawrence said. “We do have people seek us out and enroll because of our A-plus rating with the BBB. It gives people peace of mind before they even know us.”
Other entities give ratings, but it’s not the same as a BBB rating that shows a business’s accountability, Lawrence said.
“The BBB gives us one more way to say this place is different and special,” Lawrence said. “Most of the people who are looking for your service have no idea who you are, good or bad or mediocre. Some (child care centers) are not licensed, which is unconscionable in my world.”
Basic Beginnings received the Torch Awards in 2013, something the center posted on its website for visitors, as well as job applicants to help with recruitment, Lawrence said.
“We were completely, totally blown away,” Lawrence said. “I feel like we are a small business. We don’t have a lot of money. We don’t have a foundation. We don’t make big donations.”
Lawrence looked around at the other nominees receiving the award and saw how they had more resources and felt “humbled,” she said.
“It’s really an incredible feeling to know somebody thinks highly enough of your business to nominate you for this award,” Lawrence said. “I just think people would be surprised at the sense of pride that it brings to your team. And, man, our team was so proud.”
The BBB is now part of that team for Basic Beginnings, Lawrence said.
“We have been able to ask for advice,” she said. “They are just amazing to work with, super nice and super helpful people. It’s nice to have those kind of people on your team.”