Righting the ship: Apple Tree savior hopes others join battle against childcare shortage

Childcare center that avoided closure using cross-business synergies, philanthropy to keep lights on

When Sioux Falls businessman Pete Nelsen stepped up to prevent the closure of one of the city’s largest childcare centers last winter, he wasn’t sure what he was getting himself into. But a half-year since Apple Tree Childcare West was added to his portfolio, Nelsen and his team are telling a success story that’s helping chip away at ongoing child care shortages plaguing Sioux Falls.

“There was risk, obviously, but now that I look back, I should've known that we could do this,” Nelsen told The Dakota Scout this week, six months after Apple Tree Childcare Centers announced its plans to shutter operations, including all four childcare centers it operated in the city.

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