Daycare Provider Finds Value in Fergus Falls’ PioneerCare Pods

When PioneerCare, a senior living community in Fergus Falls, Minn., opens Child Care Village on Channing, an innovative childcare development in January 2027, an initiative to help tackle the dual challenge of workforce and childcare in the community, Dacotah Evavold will be the first daycare provider to operate at the twin-home pod development which broke ground in May 2026.

As a former teacher at Lincoln Elementary in Fergus Falls, Evavold saw the perfect fit with the new PioneerCare facility to launch her child care business, Evavold Bright Beginnings Daycare, LLC.

“My lifelong dream was to open a daycare once we started having children of our own, so when this amazing opportunity came along, I knew it was time to start my own business,” said Evavold.

The one-of-a-kind concept of twin-home construction providing two daycare pod facilities per home on PioneerCare property in Fergus Falls created an ideal setting for Evavold. It allowed her to operate her business outside of her home, was designed specifically for childcare programming, is in a safe and convenient location in town, and most importantly, was more affordable than many of the other options she considered.

“I was exploring a variety of building options to rent but given the cost of remodeling and other infrastructure and location challenges based on the current state of real estate, there wasn’t an ideal setting that made it viable,” Evavold added.

That’s when Evavold met with Lisa Spangler, Ottertail County’s family childcare licensor, who informed her about what PioneerCare’s childcare pod development project. It met all the needs Evavold had as an owner. Following an interview with Nathan Johnson, CEO of PioneerCare, Evavold was cleared to moved forward with her operation.

“I was surprised to find out how much more of an affordable and turnkey offering this is, which is made possible by support from the greater Fergus Falls community, Fergus Falls Habitat for Humanity, the Rural Child Care Innovation Program, and the city and county,” added Evavold. “The positive reputation of PioneerCare and their proven track record of already offering an in-house employee childcare at the senior living facility gave me the reassurance needed to make the move.”

Evavold Bright Beginnings already has four of the first seven openings filled, but it may grow to support up to 11 total children. And as word begins to spread about the creative offering, Evavold shared that she’s having conversations with other childcare providers in the area who are considering it as a possible home for their businesses. The development will accommodate up to 70 total children with six separate childcare businesses operating in three twin-home structures.

“I want to start small at first but once things get going and I’ve had the chance to refine the curriculum I plan to offer, leaning on my teaching degree, it will most likely grow throughout the first year,” said Evavold.

Knowing the overall lack of childcare services in Fergus Falls, let alone the entire state of Minnesota, PioneerCare anticipates strong interest from other providers following Evavold’s lead.

“For several years there has been strong and growing community interest in expanding childcare options – particularly by employers who see the shortage as an economic and workforce barrier,” said Nathan Johnson, CEO of PioneerCare. “Solutions are hard to come by. PioneerCare found some success with PioneerKids, an on-site childcare pod specifically for PioneerCare employees. This project is not an expansion of PioneerKids, but rather the creation of additional family childcare pods designed to serve the broader Fergus Falls community, and to provide space for new startup providers like Dacotah.”

PioneerCare will provide the leadership and infrastructure, own and steward the property, and rent the additional pods to independently licensed family childcare providers. The intent is that the direct benefit of the project accrues to families, independent providers, and ultimately the local workforce economy.

“We could not have accomplished the vision for this project were it not for the extraordinary partnership with the Fergus Falls Area Habitat for Humanity, and the support of many local businesses, foundations, and civic leaders,” added Johnson. “What started as a PioneerCare solution, became a community-wide solution.”

The PioneerCare model is catching on around the state, and even nationally, as communities everywhere continue to face challenges in offering more affordable childcare solutions.

“I’ve shared our approach with other community leaders and senior living communities around Minnesota as this approach could certainly be replicated,” added Johnson. “As long as there’s strong community support, creative thinking and resourceful partners involved, this may be one solution to provide a win-win situation for families, business owners and the community at large.”

For Evavold, it’s an opportunity of a lifetime that came together at just the right time to make her dream become a reality.

“I can’t wait to open and start supporting families in this community,” said Evavold. “Thanks to this ideal setting and the brilliant development concept, I’m positioned to provide a safe, quality childcare setting while it’s allowing me to stay in Fergus Falls to operate a successful business.”