Kiddie Academy^® of Phoenixville

We can't wait to meet you

• Janel A. Work, Franchise Owner

  

  Janel A. Work is first and foremost a mother and loving wife. Janel and her husband Jonathan were married in 2008. Maxwell...   Read More

  Janel A. Work, Franchise Owner

  Janel A. Work is first and foremost a mother and loving wife. Janel and her husband Jonathan were married in 2008. Maxwell was then born shortly after and he has enriched their lives and keeps them smiling each day. It was due to his birth that Janel decided to take a hiatus from public education and pursue Early Childhood Education. Then in January of 2011, the family was also blessed with their new arrival of Nathaniel (Nate). Then they were blessed with their final addition of Arianna. The family lives in Kimberton with their labradoodle & German Shepard. Janel graduated from Susquehanna University in 2002 with a B.A. in Communications, Theater Arts and Education. While working in the public school system, she continued her education to complete her M.A. at Villanova in Education.  She also has pursued additional graduate education in ECE from Shippensburg University. After achieving her degree, Janel has worked as a daycare director and public school educator. She has taught at Owen J.Roberts School District, Reading Area School District, and in Montgomery County School System in Maryland. She was also an adjunct professor at Montgomery College. Not only did she teach, but she helped write standards-based curriculum for the school districts and several virtual charter schools. As an educator, Janel believes in enriching each child’s life and meeting their individual needs to help them flourish. Janel A. Work loves Kiddie Academy in Phoenixville and does not consider it a job but a wonderful lifestyle. She believes the center continues to redefine the standards for childcare in the area. Plus, it is a wonderful resource center to her beloved town. Janel is proud of the accomplishments at the ever growing and changing center.

• Kaitlyn Houseal, Director

  

  Kaitlyn Houseal is so excited to join the Phoenixville team as Director and strive for the best that the team can be...   Read More

  Kaitlyn Houseal, Director

  Kaitlyn Houseal is so excited to join the Phoenixville team as Director and strive for the best that the team can be for their families! She loves to see children’s eyes light up when they gain a new concept! Kaitlyn began her childcare career in 2007 by obtaining many roles such as: Teacher, Pool Manager, Group Supervisor, Compliance Coordinator, and Assistant Director. Kaitlyn graduated with her Associate’s Degree in Elementary Education from Montgomery County Community College in 2013 and Bachelor’s Degree in Early Childhood Studies from Chestnut Hill College in 2015. Additionally, she has her Director’s Credential Certification and Private Academic Teacher Certification through Pennsylvania. Kaitlyn married her husband Jeffrey in 2017. They enjoy volunteer firefighting at their local fire company, going to Disney World, and going to the beach! Additionally, they work with Dalmatian Rescues and have six Dalmatians of their own! Their names are Halli, Squirt, Blazey, Siren, Axe, and Cinderella (Cinder for short). Five of them are deaf and all have personalities of their own!

• Michelle Bilodeau, Assistant Director

  

  Michelle Bilodeau, our beloved “Mimi” (as she is referred to at KA), has been a Phoenixville resident for close to 30 years....   Read More

  Michelle Bilodeau, Assistant Director

  Michelle Bilodeau, our beloved “Mimi” (as she is referred to at KA), has been a Phoenixville resident for close to 30 years. Originally from Catalina Island, California, Michelle and her husband Mark settled here to help raise their three children and be close to Mark’s family. She loves how Phoenixville has grown into a cultural community and that a family oriented atmosphere exists throughout the area.  Michelle has been married for over 35 years . She has three grown children, Myriah, Madysen, & Maxx.  She and Mark had an amazing year with the new arrival of their first grandchild! Kiddie Academy is thrilled to see our Mimi enjoy this new chapter in her family’s life. Michelle began her college education at Los Angeles Harbor College, where she studied Business and Pre-Law. Michelle worked as an Executive Administrator for The Federated Group for 15 years. After moving to Pennsylvania, balancing being a mom and having a career was very important to Michelle, especially throughout her children's youth. She worked for Comcast Cellular for over a decade. By chance, an offer to substitute as an assistant teacher at Charlestown Playhouse drastically changed her career path. She immediately fell in love with teaching, particularly the young! We are fortunate enough to have had her join our ranks in 2013. Our Ms. Mimi started as our toddler assistant and quickly obtained her CDA within her first year. She was then promoted to head Preschool & Pre-K teacher. She has continued to further her knowledge in the field through trainings, classes, and conferences. Overall, we have been blessed by her passion for our school, the Phoenixville community and her love for nurturing families through this stage of their lives.

• Nicolette Adams, Kitchen Manager/ Chef

  

  Hi Everyone! My name is Nicolette and I am the Kitchen Manager/Chef at Kiddie Academy. I am "Mommy" to my daughter, Rosalyn,...   Read More

  Nicolette Adams, Kitchen Manager/ Chef

  Hi Everyone! My name is Nicolette and I am the Kitchen Manager/Chef at Kiddie Academy. I am "Mommy" to my daughter, Rosalyn, as well as a clowder of cats. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and performing in and directing local theater productions (during one of which, I met my husband!) I started working as the Assistant Chef at KA in 2014 and immedately fell in love with the staff, kids, and position. When I gave birth to my daughter in 2016, I was thrilled for her to join me at work every day. Last year, I decided to try my hand at the corporate world to see if it was for me. Long story short - it wasn't! Every day, I dreamed of going back to my little kitchen. Then when Mama K announced that she was moving, I called Janel and expressed how much I would love to come back. Within days, I had accepted the position and given my notice at my corporate job. I am so incredibly excited to be home! I can't wait to get to know your families and reintroduce myself to the ones that I worked with before. I promise to feed your children as I would my own and to do my best to get them to eat their vegetables (even if it means hiding them in cakes and muffins!) If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to stop by the kitchen!

• Julie Oelkers, Administrator & Former Director

  

  Julie Oelkers lives in Phoenixville with her husband Winston.  They were married in 2012 and in 2015 they were excited to start...   Read More

  Julie Oelkers, Administrator & Former Director

  Julie Oelkers lives in Phoenixville with her husband Winston.  They were married in 2012 and in 2015 they were excited to start a family and blessed with the birth of their daughter Evelyn.   Julie graduated in 2008 from West Chester University with her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education.  She also obtained and maintains a current Pennsylvania Early Childhood Teaching Certificate.  She has had over 10 years of experience working with children of all ages.  Julie gained experience through nannying for many families, working for Girl Scouts of America and other camp programs, participating in various community and school youth organizations, and working in other early childhood centers over the years.   Julie joined the Kiddie Academy family in 2014 as the School Age head teacher and has also held the positions of shift supervisor, health and safety coordinator, and administrator.  Julie has enjoyed the amazing experience of getting to know all the children, families, and staff and she is excited to be starting her new adventure as the center director.   As an early childhood professional, Julie is passionate about passing on her excitement of discovery and encouraging children and their families to be lifelong learners.  She works to empower young children and believes in providing an environment that inspires them to achieve their best personally and academically. 

• Jennifer Moyer, Head Infant Teacher & Shift Supervisor

  

  Jennifer resides in Pottstown, PA with her husband and family.  After eight years, Mark  proposed to her on Valentine’s Day in 2009....   Read More

  Jennifer Moyer, Head Infant Teacher & Shift Supervisor

  Jennifer resides in Pottstown, PA with her husband and family.  After eight years, Mark  proposed to her on Valentine’s Day in 2009. On July 9, 2011, they started a new journey together and celebrated together in a marriage. Jen and Mark would like to take their journey down another road and start a family some day.   In 2000, Jennifer graduated from Pottsgrove High School and entered the college life. In 2003, she got her Associates Degree in Elementary Education from Montgomery County Community College. Then, she transferred to Immaculata University and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology in 2006. In 2013, she decided to go back to school and received her CDA in Infant/Toddler.   When Jennifer was in high school, she started working part time at Kay Bee Toys. At that job, she got the opportunity to interact with children. While working there, she dressed up as the Easter Bunny and Elmo for fun and loved seeing a smile on children’s faces. Jennifer’s mother has always taken care of children and she knew that someday she would do the same thing. After Kay Bee closed, Jennifer had the opportunity to start watching a 4 week old infant named Veira.  She felt it was a gift from God to watch Veira grow and develop into a toddler. It opened her eyes even more and made her realize that working with children every day is her passion.   Jennifer helped out in her church nursery since she was a young teenager.  She still enjoys helping out once a month in her church nursery. In her free time, Jennifer loves to spend time with Veira and watching her grow. Jennifer loves seeing children smile and laugh. Her passion is making children feel happy and loved.