Happy Childcare Center

Happy Childcare Center opened its doors in 2018 with the vision to provide culturally competent daycare service for its diverse community. They saw a need in their own community and other immigrant and minority communities in the Twin Cities for flexible childcare that meets the working parent’s schedule. Happy Childcare Center works to accommodate the needs of the people in the community. “Lots of the women come to the US and need to go to work and school so we opened HCC to help those communities,” Nur said. “After work, many of the women go to classes to learn English, so they need someone to take care of their families during that time.” Along with speaking the language of its clients, HCC helps by providing care based on clients’ schedules. They stay open later hours, unlike many childcare providers to meet the needs of the parents and guardians who work outside of “normal” business hours.

The building where Happy Childcare Center is currently located will be torn down and turned into an apartment building next year. As a result, they are moving to a new building on Lake Street. HCC needed to find a profit-based loan to cover the relocation costs because in the Islamic faith, it is illegal to accrue interest and profit-based loans do not accrue interest. Happy Childcare Center was able to connect with ADC through the community to receive a loan to help with the financial costs of relocating.

Happy Childcare Center is owned by two African immigrant women, Kaltun Awed and Fardosa Moallin, their work at the center is supported by over one dozen employees, including Program Director Said Nur.