Drum Roll: Dreaming Up An Eco-Friendly Child-care Center

With a coffee bar, massage therapist and concierge, this isn't the usual day-care center.

by Patti Ghezzi

June 1, 2008

W hen her friend Jim Jacoby sought her advice about what to put in vacant space in the Atlantic Station community he was developing, Crissy Klaus suggested a child-care center.
    
She envisioned a place where families, employees, diners and shoppers could entrust their children. Jacoby loved the idea so much that he asked Klaus, an executive with a background in marketing and real estate, to build the center of her dreams.      

"It was a chance kind of thing, but the more I started brainstorming, the more excited I became," says the mother of two young boys. "Everything was out of my own experience as a mother."     

Three years later, those dreams are fulfilled in FIO360 [pronounced fee-oh], an eco-friendly center with a rooftop playground and an organic menu overseen by a chef and a nutritionist. The center's name comes from Latin and means "to become."      

As a mom, Klaus fed her sons organic food at home, but she was frustrated that child-care centers could not accommodate her kids' diet. Klaus had stood in line at Whole Foods enough times to know other parents wanted their children to eat organic food. She figured those parents would also want their children to play with toys free of toxins and sleep on chemical-free crib mattresses.      

"I have always erred on the side of caution when it comes to my kids," she says. "Maybe pesticides really don't hurt them, but why take the chance?"      

She chose biodegradable diapers that use cornstarch for absorption rather than gel, which some believe is bad for babies. Klaus hopes to eventually use cloth diapers, but she hasn't worked out the logistics yet.      

Klaus immersed herself in the child-care industry, something she knew nothing about as an entrepreneur. Her only experience was as a consumer. Although her children were mostly cared for at home, she enrolled them in child-care programs so they could develop social skills.      

As Klaus began to assemble the pieces of her dream center, she looked for an education program that would focus more on learning than teaching. She found a method used in the Netherlands that hinges on the idea that young children need to feel secure as they develop and that they need encouragement to take risks as they become more independent. The teacher's role is to balance the need for security with the importance of independence.      

Although the center will provide structure, teachers will also recognize that children are different. "Children get to nap when they're tired, and eat when they're hungry," she says.      

Parents who want their kids learning the ABCs in a traditional classroom setting will not find what they're looking for at FIO360, Klaus says.      

The center includes a children's museum. Artwork, such as a collection of vintage Japanese bowls, is placed low enough for children to reach out and touch. "When I took my kids to child care, they didn't want to stay," she says. "I wanted to create an environment they wouldn't want to leave."      

She then began thinking of all the ways a child-care center could support busy families.      

The unique space includes a spacious lobby, which Klaus made into an area aimed at helping parents manage their busy lives. It includes a business center, where parents can finish their cell phone calls before their child is brought downstairs, and a coffee bar. If a mom can break away from work for lunch, a center employee will have her child secured in a stroller and waiting in the lobby.      

The lobby includes comfy chairs, a dollhouse and a treehouse, where parents can spend a few precious minutes with their child before heading off to work. They can also buy prepared food to bring home for dinner. A massage therapist will be on site for parents and children. A parent concierge can help parents schedule doctor appointments. The center has a tub so that a child can be bathed before pickup.      

Klaus – who is married to Chris Klaus, founder of Internet Security Systems and the founder and current CEO of Kaneva Inc. – describes her role as the dreamer and will leave the hands-on operation of the center to others. She has invested money as well as time in the project and is constantly coming up with ideas to help the bottom line.      For example, she realized the space could be rented on weekends for birthday parties. "We can do a 1-year-old birthday party," she says. "We have high chairs!" This summer, after a "soft opening" with just a small number of children, the center will offer an eco-friendly day camp. An after-school program is also planned, with a curriculum that will emphasize taking care of Mother Earth.     

Another way Klaus plans to enhance profits is through retail. The center will sell eco-friendly toys carefully culled from trade shows around the country. "It's not like any other toy store," she says. Most toys are made of wood or bamboo, and those made of plastic contain no PVC, which some believe may harm children.      

Tuition runs about $1,600 a month for a full-time toddler and includes diapers, wipes and ointment so that parents don't have to pack a hefty diaper bag each morning. Tuition also includes two meals and two snacks. The price is a bit higher than other high-end child-care centers in metro Atlanta.      

In retrofitting the space, Klaus was constantly faced with decisions about price versus eco-friendliness. Some paints emit no toxic fumes, others emit only a small amount of fumes. Klaus chose paints with no fumes despite the higher price tag. She chose earth tones over primary colors or pastels to fit with the center's calm atmosphere.      

At every turn, Klaus has followed the philosophy that has driven her since she became a mother. For example, the center's floors are heated, not just because it's the most earth-friendly approach, but because little ones are close to the ground and crave warmth.      

She has a strong litmus test for every decision made in the center, she says.      

"What's best for the children?"