Wahoo Daycare Owners Struggle to Stay Afloat Amid Rising Costs

Daycare providers in the growing Nebraska community are skipping their own paychecks to cover expenses and maintain staffing ratios.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 11:23pm

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An abstract, impressionistic scene of blurred shapes and soft, glowing colors representing the welcoming environment of a daycare center, conveying the emotional and conceptual essence of the story without depicting any specific people, objects or locations.The financial and regulatory challenges facing small, independent daycare providers are obscured by the warm, inviting atmosphere they strive to create for the children in their care.Wahoo Today

Daycare owners Liz Lacy and Rachel Moline of Everyday Adventure Child Care in Wahoo, Nebraska are facing mounting expenses and strict state regulations that are making it difficult to keep their business viable. They often have to forgo their own paychecks to ensure their employees are paid and to cover costs like liability insurance, supplies, and food. Despite the financial challenges, the owners are committed to providing a valuable service to the growing Wahoo community.

Why it matters

Daycare availability is a critical issue for many communities, especially smaller ones like Wahoo. The owners' struggles highlight the thin profit margins and regulatory hurdles that daycare providers face in trying to balance affordability for families and financial sustainability for their businesses.

The details

Lacy and Moline face a number of necessary expenses, including $3,000-$5,000 per year for liability insurance, an app to update parents, and nearly 30 gallons of milk every other week. State regulations also require specific staffing ratios, such as one adult per four infants, making payroll a major challenge. The owners sometimes have to skip their own paychecks to ensure their employees get paid.

  • Everyday Adventure Child Care has been operating in Wahoo for an unspecified number of years.
  • The daycare recently welcomed a new competitor, bringing the total number of daycares in Wahoo to five.

The players

Liz Lacy

Co-owner of Everyday Adventure Child Care in Wahoo, Nebraska.

Rachel Moline

Co-owner of Everyday Adventure Child Care in Wahoo, Nebraska.

Everyday Adventure Child Care

A daycare facility in Wahoo, Nebraska owned by Liz Lacy and Rachel Moline.

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What they’re saying

“Some people think child care centers they make so much money because they charge so much but truly we don't.”

— Liz Lacy, Co-owner, Everyday Adventure Child Care

“You see that kids truly love to be here or parents love dropping their kids off here that's what makes it all worth it.”

— Liz Lacy, Co-owner, Everyday Adventure Child Care

“I think people would move they really wouldn't have a choice because they either wouldn't have child care or they would have to change their family dynamic.”

— Liz Lacy, Co-owner, Everyday Adventure Child Care

What’s next

The owners of Everyday Adventure Child Care will continue to navigate the financial and regulatory challenges of operating a daycare in Wahoo, hoping to maintain their business and the valuable service it provides to the community.

The takeaway

This story highlights the difficult balancing act that small, independent daycare providers must maintain in order to keep their businesses afloat and continue serving families in their communities. The thin profit margins and strict state requirements make it an ongoing struggle, underscoring the need for greater support and resources for the early childhood education sector.