By EMILY REED | Special to the Reporter

HELENA – A new childcare center is slated to open in Helena by October or November.

AIM Academy, will open next to El Tejano, off of County Road 52, and will serve the needs of working parents by offering childcare for children ages 6 weeks through age 5.

“We are seeking growing, vibrant communities with a high concentration of young families and a limited supply of high-quality programs for young children,” said Scott Cotter, who is one of the owners of the school. “Based on our research and evaluation, Helena ranked extremely high on our metrics.”

AIM Academy currently has one additional program open in Alabama in Pike Road, which opened in Aug. 2022.

Cotter said the operating hours of the Helena location will be Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m.

“We understand the nature of work today so we will provide a number of flexible part-time enrollment options in addition to full-time,” Cotter said. “Once children enter kindergarten, we will offer a before and after school program along with an exciting summer camp for school-age students up to 12 years of age. Unlike many programs, we will be licensed by the Alabama Department of Human Resources. Beyond these basic components, we will be hyper-focused on the quality of programs across a number of research-based criteria.”

While AIM Academy only started in 2022, both Cotter and his business partner, Robert Moffett, have a combined 45 years of experience in the industry, and Cotter said the two have managed more than 300 centers during their careers.

The school anticipates employing 30 full and part-time staff members.

While there is no firm opening date at this point due to variables with construction and child care licensing, Cotter is hopeful the school will be opened fall 2023.