“I had a vision that I would have my own school someday,” says Melissa Levingston, reflecting on the inspiration behind starting her family child care program. “This was meant to be—and now with my son, this is my own school.”
A proud St. Paul native, Melissa recalls how much she loved school growing up. “I loved Central High School,” she says with a smile. “I cried when I graduated.”
Melissa went on to teach in junior high and high schools across St. Paul for seven years, all while running her own fitness business. She taught gym classes at Global Arts Plus Upper School for a couple of years before being invited to teach at Central High School—her alma mater and a dream come true.
“I loved it and was there a couple years until I got pregnant with my son,” she shares. After her son was born, she scaled back her hours, teaching just one class for two hours a day. “I couldn’t go full-time with an infant,” she explains. “Then I had an epiphany: open my own school.”
That was the moment Melissa’s journey toward opening a licensed family child care program began.
At first, she considered leasing a building on Selby Avenue, but the rent was too high. “I wanted to stay in St. Paul,” she says. “So, I thought, what if I opened it in my mom’s house?”
Melissa’s mother had a long history of caring for children as a licensed foster parent. Over the years, their family home welcomed more than 30 children—sometimes up to six at a time—including children with special needs, Autism, and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome.
“We had a lot of beautiful energy in our home,” Melissa recalls.
Inspired by that legacy, Melissa got to work preparing the home for her child care program. She received mentoring from a longtime friend who has successfully operated a child care business for nearly 20 years. Melissa also completed orientation and 16 training courses required for licensing, including two through Think Small. There, she was connected to a Think Small navigator and outreach coordinator who supported her every step of the way.
The Think Small team helped Melissa secure essential program materials—from curriculum resources and children’s books to toys—and guided her through the licensing process. In March, her license was officially approved.
Now, Melissa’s vision of having her own school has come full circle. In the same home that nurtured so many children before, she’s creating a joyful, loving space for the next generation—including her son, who is at the heart of it all.
