Henry County mom builds early childhood center to create community in McDonough

For some parents, finding the right place for their young children to learn can feel like a challenge.

One McDonough mom decided that if she couldn't find the village her family needed, she would build it herself.

Chivon Carter founded Community Co., an early childhood center designed to help children learn through play while giving their parents a community of their own.

At Community Co., there are no little ones stuck behind desks all day. Instead, children create, play, explore and learn how to understand something just as important as their ABCs: their emotions.

"Take a big breath," an instructor tells the children during a mindfulness and breathwork exercise.

Carter says connection is at the heart of the center's philosophy.

"Our North Star at Community Co. is connection above everything," Carter said. "When you look through the lens of the idea that we're actually raising people and not little kids, everything changes. Here we teach children how to learn, not what to learn."

That philosophy grew out of Carter's own experience as a mother.

After spending 15 years working in the film and television industry, Carter turned her attention to education after struggling to find the kind of environment she wanted for her own children.

"I had to build it," Carter said. "I have a five-year-old and a three-year-old, and there just wasn't anything like this ... especially in my backyard on the South Side."

At Community Co., children work with licensed educators to develop individualized learning plans and are encouraged to learn by doing.

That can mean setting a table, creating art, participating in mindfulness exercises or simply figuring out how to navigate big emotions.

Carter also wanted to create a space where parents could stay connected to their children.

The center includes a coworking space where parents can work or relax while their children learn just down the hall.

For Carter's daughter, that proximity provides comfort.

"I like that mommy and daddy stay here ... because it is happiness ... because I love my mommy and daddy," KeriMorgan Carter said. "When they leave, I just feel sad."

Carter said keeping families connected was part of the reason she created the center.

"And that's why we did it," Carter said. "We didn't want to be disconnected from our children."

Parents say the center has become more than a place for their children to learn.

Danielle Brooks, who recently moved to the area, said finding an instant community has made a difference for her family.

"It's one big family, and I haven't found that," Brooks said. "We recently moved here to the area. And so to have an instant community has been amazing."

Eryn Duckie drives from Decatur to McDonough because she says her child loves the environment.

"I live in Decatur, but I come here to McDonough because my child loves this space," Duckie said. "He loves the opportunity to grow and develop without having to feel rushed. But I love it as well."

Duckie said the support from other parents is just as valuable.

"Just understanding that you're not in it alone," she said. "That's the best part of it all."

That emphasis on connection extends to the way children learn emotional regulation.

Jodi Smith, a Community Co. guide and mindfulness specialist, teaches children breathwork and mindfulness to help them recognize and manage their emotions.

"Given the tools to regulate, to do breathwork, to understand how you feel, you go through life so much smoother because you're able to tackle whatever obstacle comes your way," Smith said.

For Carter, the goal is bigger than one center.

"My hope for our community at large is that alternative education becomes normalized. That parents really get to decide how their children are educated, and that we come together more as a true village," Carter said.

Community Co. is proving that sometimes, the most important thing a child can grow up with isn't just an education — it's the support that comes with it.

Carter says qualifying families may be able to use the Georgia Promise Scholarship to help pay for tuition. 

Applications open Aug. 1. Families can find more information about eligibility and the application process through the Georgia Promise Scholarship program.