For many working at Land O’Lakes’ Arden Hills campus, their workday starts with a quick walk from the parking lot to their respective workspace. For some, however, their workday includes a slight detour to the hallway connecting Building A and Building C.

About halfway down that hallway sits the entrance to LOLkids, the on-site daycare facility operated by New Horizon Academy. On the outside, Land O’Lakes employees hustle to meetings and to make deadlines. Once you step in, however, LOLkids site director Manda Reker says it’s almost as if you’re transported somewhere else entirely.  

A toddler stops by the front desk to check the daily picture on the calendar. A preschooler insists on visiting a teacher’s office for a hug before heading to class. Rooms full of students prepare for their daily activities. Down the hall, fresh meals are being prepared for the kids.

“We’re creating a school family and a community feel here in this center,” Manda says. “Family and community and stability is a through line for everything we do.”

For nearly eight years, LOLkids has been quietly doing just that: providing consistent, high-quality care for children while their parents work just down the hall.

The national childcare crisis

Top-quality care is always top of mind for parents, and having convenient options that parents can trust are few and far between these days. That LOLkids is woven into daily life at Arden Hills, Manda says, is part of what makes the daycare such an asset on the Land O’Lakes campus. The playgrounds are visible from conference rooms, and it’s not uncommon to see groups of students walking down the halls from time to time.

“It changes the culture of our campus,” Manda says. “Seeing kids going by in the red buggies, lined up on ropes for a walk or singing during a fire drill, it brings joy and a different energy.”

LOLkids’ visibility on campus also serves as a reminder of how critical access to childcare is. Across the country, childcare shortages are sidelining workers and putting pressure on employers.  

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation estimates that states lose roughly $1 billion annually due to childcare breakdowns, as parents are forced to reduce hours, miss work or leave the workforce entirely. Additionally, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 332,000 workers missed some amount of work in 2025 because of childcare problems.

For many employees, on-site childcare is no longer viewed as a perk but as an essential benefit. At Land O’Lakes, that philosophy has been taking shape for years through LOLkids. Employees receive a 15% tuition discount at LOLkids and 10% off at other New Horizon Academy centers.  

In a national workforce shaped by childcare instability, LOLkids represents a model where family support is intentionally built into the workplace.

“It’s an organization investing not just in you as an employee,” Manda says, “but in your family and your home life, too.”

It’s a system that is mutually beneficial for everyone involved. For families, knowing their children are safe, nearby and cared for by teachers they know allows them to be fully present at work. For the organization, it means retaining skilled employees who might otherwise face impossible tradeoffs.

Chad Larson, a Land O’Lakes logistics manager working at Arden Hills, says having LOLkids on site has been a gamechanger for his family. One of his children started at LOLkids in 2019 and graduated from the pre-K room in 2024. Another is currently enrolled in preschool.

“Throughout COVID and after, LOLkids has always been there,” Chad says. “Drop-off and pick-up is easy and convenient. There’s always someone to greet you. It really doesn’t impact my daily routine at all.”

For Camille Bahr, a Forage Genetics International marketing product scientist with two children currently enrolled at LOLkids, the difference between off-site and on-site care was immediate.

“Being able to bring my children to on-site childcare saves at least 45 minutes a day just in morning drop-off time,” Camille says.

She’s been impressed not only by convenience, but by how clearly teachers communicate learning goals.

“At preschool conferences, teachers explain what kids are learning and why,” Camille says. “They provide resources parents can use at home, which builds consistency between school and home.”

Chad agrees and says that the visible growth of his children during the program has stood out the most throughout his family’s experience with LOLkids.

“I saw my oldest and youngest grow leaps and bounds due to the care and enrichment opportunities,” he says. “There are so many opportunities built into the school day. The teachers continually help kids grow and develop.”

Providing essential flexibility

LOLkids opens at 6:45 a.m. and closes at 5:30 p.m., with drop-off and pickup available anytime during those hours. Families are offered several options about how many days and how long each day their kids will spend at LOLkids, and drop-in care is available based on space.

LOLkids Assistant Director Sarah Varian says that flexibility matters, especially on a hybrid campus.

“We see more children on site Tuesday through Thursday,” she says, “but families’ needs change week to week. We try to meet them where they are.”

Camille says her family has benefited from LOLkids’ flexibility. Since 2022, her children have attended part-time, splitting their days between school, time with grandparents and family time at home.

“I don’t know if we could find this level of flexibility elsewhere,” she says. “It works for our family in a really intentional way.”

Parents can come and go during the workday and are allowed to visit classrooms, nurse in designated spaces or even grab lunch with a preschooler in the cafeteria.  

LOLkids also remains open during weather closures and school district snow days, providing consistency for working parents.

“There are mornings we get calls asking if we’re closed,” Manda says. “The answer is always no. We’ll be here.”

A day at LOLkids

LOLkids is more than just a convenient option for parents. As a National Association for the Education of Young Children-accredited organization, LOLkids must live up to high educational and care standards. The daycare serves children from six weeks old through kindergarten, and each age group experiences the center a little differently.

For infants, care centers on individual schedules. With a one‑to‑four teacher ratio and three infant-age classrooms, each child’s day is guided by their own needs rather than a rigid clock. Parents receive real‑time updates throughout the day through ProCare, an electronic communication system that tracks diapers, bottles, naps, photos and curriculum.

“It’s hard to encapsulate all that happens in one day,” Sarah says. “They do a lot.”

As children grow into toddlers and transition to preschool classrooms, their days gain structure but maintain some flexibility. Once they arrive and sign in, the day usually starts with free play before moving into breakfast, teeth brushing, group time, outdoor play, lunch, rest time, and smaller learning blocks spread throughout the day.

“There’s learning happening even in free play,” Sarah says. “They’re working through sharing. They’re naming emotions. Teachers are asking questions that get them thinking.”

LOLkids classrooms use Creative Curriculum, SEEDS and Handwriting Without Tears, with daily routines that include calendar work, shapes, colors, sound walls, read‑a-louds and weather discussions. Kids spend time in small groups and self‑directed play, learning social‑emotional skills alongside early academics.

“It gets more complex as they age up, because you’re really focusing on learning the things that are going to help them be a helpful and successful human when they go out in the real world,” Sarah says. “They’re interacting with other kids and are put in positions to really make them think about what they’re doing and what they’re feeling.”

Behind the scenes, teachers are supported by New Horizon resources that extend beyond the classroom. Mental health specialists and other experts are available to help teachers tailor support when children need something different, and families can be referred to outside services such as occupational or speech therapy when appropriate.

“All children learn differently,” Manda says. “We want to make sure we’re looking at each child as an individual.”

Additionally, Manda says staff longevity is one of its defining strengths. She’s been with New Horizon Academy for more than 20 years and several staff members have spent a decade or more in early childhood classrooms.

“That longevity builds trust. In some cases, we spend more waking hours with these children than their own parents get to during the week,” Manda says. “We really build strong connections and relationships. Families get to know who’s caring for their kids.”

And most importantly, for the kids, Manda says LOLkids provides a fun, safe place to learn and grow.

“At the end of the day, families know their kids are safe, loved and learning,” she says. “That’s the most important part.”