Lil’ Cats and Lil’ Indians Daycare Named Texas Small Employer of the Year and Local Employer of Excellence
Abilene, Texas — Lil’ Cats Daycare and Lil’ Indians Daycare owned by Nichole and Josh Hale have been named Small Employer of the Year by the Texas Workforce Commission. Lil’ Cats Daycare and Lil’ Indians Daycare, nominated by Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas and chosen as the Texas Small Employer of the Year from among three exemplary finalists, are also recognized as the West Central Texas Local Employer of Excellence. Lil’ Cats Daycare and Lil’ Indians Daycare are meeting a crucial need for rural communities, workers, and area employers in West Central Texas.
“We would not have been able to make this happen without our wonderful staff and families that we serve,” said Owner Nichole Hale. “They are the backbone of our business and make it all possible.” Lil’ Cats Daycare opened in Coleman in 2016 with the initial capacity to serve 30 children. In partnership with Texas Workforce Solutions and the Coleman Economic Development Corporation, Lil’ Cats received a $72,324 expansion grant from the Texas Workforce Commission to increase child care availability in their community. With capacity doubled and growing, Lil’ Cats is improving child care availability in Coleman.
The town of Haskell was faced with losing its only child care facility in spring 2023. Owners Nichole and Josh Hale of Lil’ Cats Daycare expanded their operations through a partnership with Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas and investments from the Development Corporation of Haskell in order to open Lil’ Indians Daycare within a matter of months, creating five full-time positions and ensuring quality child care remained available for working families. “We are hoping to be able to continue to expand and meet the need for high quality child care in rural communities,” said Hale.
Contact: Mary Ross
Phone: (325) 795-4301
Website: www.wfswct.org
