Wheeling tutoring company proposes adding daycare services

Buffalo Grove resident Olga Khamichonak is from Belarus, and when her son was born eight years ago, she couldn't find anything locally like the early childhood education and enrichment programs Belarus offered.

So she started Blooming Minds Academy in 2010. The tutoring and education enrichment company in 2012 opened a Wheeling location at 581 N. Wolf Road. Now, Khamichonak is hoping to expand and add day care services for younger children.

The business currently serves children ages 1 to 5 with an offering of early childhood education classes that focus on cognitive and intellectual development while also developing math and language skills. And children ages 5 to 14 can take one- to two-hour classes in various subjects, including math, reading, writing, Russian and English language and science.

The idea to offer day care came at the behest of parents who bring their children to Blooming Minds. Offering day care on location, she says, would allow her to add full-time staff positions.

The day care would include one classroom each for 2- to 3-year-olds, 3 to 4-year-olds and 4- to 5-year-olds.

Khamichonak says most of her teachers have their bachelor's and master's degrees in early childhood education, so they wouldn't require additional training to work in the day care rooms.

"Some teachers have experience working in day cares and some have experience working in schools," she added.

Blooming Minds is already leasing the space, 583 N. Wolf Road, that would be used to expand the business. It is located in the same building as the current location.

Khamichonak says she combined Belarus curriculum with curriculum from the U.S. to create unique learning experiences for children who attend Blooming Minds.

About 80 percent of the children who come to Blooming Minds have a Russian background, and several of the classes are taught in Russian, Khamichonak said.

Hours for the expanded business would be 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, according to Village of Wheeling documents. While plans to add day care services won't go before the Wheeling Plan Commission until Thursday, Khamichonak says working with the village and her landlord has been "a real nice experience."