photos by: JODIE BRIM CREATIVE
Winston-Salem, NC – On March 2, 2026, Imprints Cares will open the doors to the Center for Thriving Children, a state-of-the-art childcare facility.
Coming Full Circle
When Imprints Cares was founded in 1969, it began as a childcare provider serving Winston-Salem families. Over the decades, the organization expanded its reach to include home visiting programs, parent education, and comprehensive family support services. Now, with the launch of the Center for Thriving Children at Brookridge, a ThriveMore community, Imprints Cares returns to its roots—but with a more holistic vision than ever before.
In 2024, ThriveMore approached Imprints Cares with the opportunity to create a center on land adjacent to its senior living community in Winston-Salem, Brookridge. ThriveMore saw the need for quality childcare for team members, as well as the opportunity for intergenerational connection. It was the perfect partnership.
“Our community is ever-changing, and with that, the need for high-quality childcare is higher than ever,” explains Betty West, Director of Expanded Learning at Imprints Cares. “Working families need a place for their young children to thrive, to grow and learn. Imprints Cares’ mission is to strengthen families and community—we can do that through the Center for Thriving Children.”
This return to early childhood education doesn’t represent a step backward, but rather a completion of the circle. The organization’s decades of experience in family support services, evidence-based home visiting programs like Parents as Teachers, and deep community relationships now inform and enhance their approach to early care and education.
Under the leadership of Executive Director Scott Mollenkopf, who joined the organization in September 2025, Imprints Cares is entering an exciting new phase. Mollenkopf brings fresh vision to the organization while honoring its rich history and focusing on the organization’s strategic future.
“Returning to Imprints’ roots all these years later pays homage to our history while serving the families and our community who have come to trust the Imprints’ name,” Mollenkopf reflects. “This new chapter furthers our mission of nurturing children for lifelong success.”
Addressing an Urgent Need
The timing couldn’t be more critical. Forsyth County, like communities across North Carolina, faces a severe childcare crisis. Parents struggle to find affordable, quality care. Waiting lists stretch for months. Families make impossible choices between careers and caring for their children.
The Center for Thriving Children offers a solution that’s both immediate and innovative. ThriveMore’s President and CEO Reed VanderSlik saw his under-utilized office building as a way to provide high-quality childcare for his own organization as well as the wider community.
The Center occupies a strategic position in the community. “Our location is central to both hospitals, our local colleges, and the downtown area where many of our businesses are located,” West notes. This accessibility means working parents can drop off their children without adding significant commute time to already busy schedules.
Beyond Traditional Daycare
Walk into the Center for Thriving Children, and you’ll find a model that recognizes children don’t exist in isolation but as part of family systems that need support. Parents won’t just drop off their children; they’ll connect with an organization that offers Parents as Teachers home visiting, developmental screenings, parent education workshops, and linkages to community resources. If a family needs support beyond childcare, Imprints Cares can help.
“Our model is very innovative with three strong components,” West explains. “First, offering high-quality childcare services. Second, partnership with a local business to support their staff with childcare. Third, building a unique volunteer program where our littles are actively involved with the elder community at Brookridge to provide interactive activities for both.”
Economic Engine for Growth
Childcare isn’t just a family issue—it’s an economic imperative. Businesses struggle to attract and retain talented employees when working parents can’t find reliable, quality care for their children. Absenteeism soars when childcare arrangements fall through. Productivity suffers when employees are distracted by childcare concerns.
“This community will thrive economically if our businesses emphasize and support the importance of a shared responsibility with their employees and childcare,” West emphasizes. “Less absenteeism, more productivity in the workplace, an attractive pool of people to hire—this model could transform our local economy.”
The Gold Standard: Five-Star Quality
The Center for Thriving Children will operate at North Carolina’s highest quality rating—five-star licensing. But what does that actually mean for families? West describes the commitment: “All standards and education are at the highest level for our staff, enhanced staff-to-child ratios, approved curriculum by the state.”
Five-star licensing represents a comprehensive commitment to excellence. Teachers hold degrees in early childhood education, and the research-based and developmentally appropriate curriculum supports not just academic readiness but social-emotional growth, physical development, and creative expression. The Center’s age-appropriate learning spaces, outdoor play areas designed to promote exploration and discovery, and safety features will also exceed regulatory requirements.
But perhaps most importantly, five-star quality means valuing the educators. “All childcare staff need to be valued and appreciated for their work,” West states firmly. “Imprints, offers a competitive salary with benefits for our full-time staff. We believe that taking care of our community, our staff, and our children is our most important work.”
Where Generations Connect
The most distinctive feature of the Center for Thriving Children is its location at Brookridge and partnership with ThriveMore. This isn’t just about convenience—it’s about creating a community where young and old learn from and nurture one another.
Picture a preschooler planting seeds in a garden alongside Brookridge residents who’ve been gardening for decades. Imagine story time where elders share tales from their own childhoods. Envision holiday celebrations, art projects, and music activities that bring together people at opposite ends of life’s journey.
West’s enthusiasm for this aspect is palpable: “What I have found to be so refreshing is ThriveMore loves its elders in the same way Imprints Cares loves its children. We both have a unique sense of developmental practices that mesh beautifully together with both ages.”
Research consistently shows the benefits of intergenerational programs. Children develop empathy, patience, and respect for elders. They benefit from the wisdom, stories, and unhurried presence of older adults. Meanwhile, seniors report increased sense of purpose, decreased isolation, and improved mental health when they engage meaningfully with young children.
A Legacy for Tomorrow
On March 2, 2026, the first families will walk through the doors of the Center for Thriving Children—finding not just childcare, but a community committed to nurturing the whole family and building connections that strengthen everyone involved.
For enrollment information, contact Betty West, Director of Expanded Learning, at 336-817-6373 or [email protected]. Learn more at www.centerforthrivingchildren.com.
About Imprints Cares
Founded in 1969, Imprints Cares strengthens children, families, and community throughout Forsyth County through evidence-based programs including Parents as Teachers, Pediatric Parenting Connections, expanded learning opportunities, and now, the Center for Thriving Children. For media inquiries contact: Carrie Pasquale, Director of External Relations, 336.722.6296.
About ThriveMore
ThriveMore, formerly Baptist Retirement Homes of North Carolina, is one of the most respected providers of residential and healthcare living options for older adults. Since 1951, our faith-based, not-for-profit organization has been committed to providing quality care and a meaningful way of life at each of our campuses in North Carolina. To learn more at www.thrivemorenc.org. For media inquiries contact: Julianna Jones, Director of Communications, 336.748.6457.
