New daycare center planned at Chaffee Crossing

The founders of Creekside Learning Academy^[1] plan to break ground 10 a.m., Friday (Oct. 17) on an 8,000-square-foot infant and child daycare center near the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education campus in east Fort Smith.

The center, estimated to cost between $1.5 and $2 million, will be located on Chad Colley Boulevard between the Mercy clinic and the Heritage Village shopping center and is set to open in the spring of 2026. Creekside is expected to employ 16 full-time and 6 part-time workers.

The 8,000 square feet includes 6,700 square feet of heated space, with the rest being porch areas.

“At just eight years old, I was fascinated by the idea that infants could attend programs where they weren’t just cared for – but where they could learn,” said founder Logan Smith. “That simple discovery sparked something in me. Not long after, I handed my dad a set of homemade blueprints for a childcare center. I didn’t know it then, but a seed was planted that would grow over the years.”

Smith has a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from the University of Arkansas and said he worked three years in the Jean Tyson Child Development Study Center near the UA campus.

According to a press release, Creekside expects to have the capacity for around 80 infants and children. Tuition is $1,400 a month for children 8 weeks to 18 months, $1,300 for children 18 to 24 months, $1,200 for 24 to 36 months, and $900 a month for ages 3 to 4 years. Also, there is an enrollment fee of $500 per family, according to the Creekside website.

The facility will also offer programs for siblings ages 6 to 12 years during the summer. Center officials will begin enrolling in January ahead of a planned May opening.

“We anticipate filling it quickly and being full within the first year, but will staff up as the student enrollment necessitates,” Creekside noted in a response to questions. “Over the next few months, Creekside will be hosting meet and greets in the Chaffee Crossing area so that parents can meet and visit with Logan prior to having a building to tour.”

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