Kaitlinn Burt is approaching almost a full decade of being involved with Center for Life Resources, as she works at the Community Connections of Central Texas building serving as the daycare director.

“My main job is daycare director here, but I also do prenatal and neonatal parenting classes and I also help out with anger management classes for 3 to 17 year olds,” Burt, 30, said. “But my main responsibilities are the kids at the daycare. We can hold up to 44 kids from the ages of 5 days old up to 13.”

Prior to taking over the startup daycare unit in November 2019, Burt worked for 6 ½ as an adult mental health case manager.

“I wanted to work with kids,” Burt said of the decision to make the switch at work. “I have three kids, and had two at the time, so I was able to spend more time with them and be around them more. But it was an adjustment going from working with adults.”

A graduate of Howard Payne University, Burt would like to see the daycare center at Community Connections of Central Texas to continue experience the growth is has over its first three-plus years.

“My goal is to grow the daycare more,” Burt said. “We went from 13 kids to now we’re at capacity of 44. We have room to expand so in the next couple of years I would like to see more growth.”

Burt stated the growth of the daycare department thus far has brought her the greatest joy from her job.

“We started it from scratch and I’d never been in a role like this before, and no one else had been in this position for the center before,” she said. “To build this from the ground up, and getting to know all the different personalities and watching them learn has been the most rewarding part.”

Burt is also involved with the Child Welfare Board and attends Blanket First Baptist Church.

“I know a couple of people that have been on the board and I like the impact and how they were getting involved with the community to better help kids in the system through their volunteer work,” Burt said of her involvement in the Child Welfare Board. “That’s something I wanted to be apart.”

Kaitlinn and Austin Burt have been married for 10 years and have three children, ages 8, 5, and 22 months old.