Tommy’s Express, headquartered in Holland, has opened Tiny T’s Daycare at its campus to provide on-site childcare for employees and community members, addressing a growing need for working families in the area.
“Tommy Car Wash Systems is our equipment side, and then Tommy’s Express is our franchise,” said Lexy De La O, campus development coordinator. “At our headquarters building, we have about 450 team members.”
Tiny T’s Daycare, co-owned by sisters Lexy and Mikah De La O, offers care for children from zero weeks to four years old across four classrooms.
The facility is licensed for eight to 12 children per classroom and focuses on creating a close-knit, supportive environment.
“We have a huge daycare need here in Holland,” Lexy said. “When I had my own daughter, I thought I really can’t fathom sending her somewhere. So we thought, let’s open a daycare on site for all of our team members that are here.”
The daycare offers a unique American Sign Language (ASL) curriculum for all classrooms.
“We require it daily for our lead teachers to instill it in their lesson plans,” said Mikah, director of Tiny T’s. "We go over different concepts through social, emotional well-being."
The child care facility was also designed to have an "open concept."
"Our open concept creates an environment where teachers can [literally] look to other teachers and lean on one another," Mikah said. "We also have visual views from our office of every classroom to create that safety and comfort within parents, to know that their children have eyes on them at all times."
Families appreciate the convenient location and supportive atmosphere.
Will Parker, HR Director of Operations at Tommy’s Express, shared, “My daughter was in a facility. It just wasn’t very convenient. ... Being here and having an option where it’s close to work and much more convenient and things like that. My wife has actually started working, which has been great for her, great for our family.”
Parker, whose three-year-old daughter Mary attends Tiny T’s, noted the positive impact: “My daughter loves it because she feels like she’s coming to work with daddy every day.”
Though the daycare currently prioritizes Tommy’s Express employees, it is also open to families in the wider Holland community.
“The public is open to join the wait list,” Lexy said.
Tiny T’s Daycare operates Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and aims to provide flexible, reliable childcare for working parents while fostering a sense of family and connection.
“It’s intentional to create that connection between teacher and child,” Parker said. “It feels like family more than another place.”
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