Eight years ago, when her daughter Shanna was just a couple months old, Beth and her husband Dan enrolled at KidWorks. The school iteslf was only two years old, and we were still figuring out who we were, and what our niche might be. We weren't especially well known at that point, and our reputation was just beginning to take shape, and we were VERY EXCITED to have a celebrity as a client.   I distinctly remember getting the phone call at work from Cathy, letting me know that "We just enrolled Beth Younggren's baby!".

It was exciting to us because Dan and Beth could certainly take their new baby anywhere they chose, and they had chosen us. It got us thinking that maybe our niche was to have more clients like Dan and Beth, and the way to do that was to figure out what they found appealing (and what they would change) and do more (or less) of those things. Little did we know how eager Beth was to get involved in the school. She immediately volunteered to serve on a "Parent Association" board. We asked Beth, and several other parents, to meet and let us know what was important to them as parents at KidWorks. The input of Beth and the Board resulted in some fundamental improvements at the school. Many of the employee benefits we provide, and our pay structure, came at the suggestions of the board to increase teacher retention.  The webcams were also the direct result of Beth and the board, who did their own fundraising to help with the installation costs of the first camera system.

Throughout Shanna, and later Bens' enrollment at KidWorks, there was not a single event sign-up sheet that didn't have Beth's name on it. Her job with TV20 didn't require her to be in first thing in the morning, so she didn't just drop off... she hung around and helped the teachers. Over the years, we developed a personal friendship with Dan and Beth. It was impossible not to...they're just great people. Beth wanted, above all else, to be an outstanding mom to her own children, and to help other children flourish. I know when people die tragically, it's normal for folks to express how wonderful and terrific the deceased was, but Beth actually deserves the accolades.

If you're a former, current or prospective client of KidWorks, just know that much of what now makes KidWorks special was the result of our having the privilidge of knowning Beth. While we know that, with time, the pain of her loss will diminish for us, we will never forget her.