Kid’s Castle

Sandra Monica has a passion for working with children. That’s why after 15 years as a childcare employee, Monica decided it was time to start a daycare center of her own. With her husband’s support and financing from The Loan Fund, Monica founded Kid’s Castle Child Development Center, which provides early education to children from six weeks to 12 years of age, helping to alleviate some of the shortage in quality daycare providers in New Mexico. Today, Kid’s Castle provides daycare to more than 100 children and employs approximately 25 full-time teachers. Starting out was no easy task. Other lenders told Monica there was no need for another childcare facility and that she’d be wasting her time. Then, the Small Business Administration referred Monica to The Loan Fund. “If it wasn’t for The Loan Fund, I wouldn’t have been able to start up,” Monica says. “I made a presentation to The Loan Fund, and they were very supportive.”Monica says she benefited from The Loan Fund’s willingness to provide business consultation and follow up after the loan was made. “They’ve been great,” she says. “Even though they are based in Albuquerque, someone is always checking in with us. When they’re in Las Cruces, someone always stops by and sees how everything is going.”