OWNER

Danielle Frank

A Little About Me!

As a mother of three children and the oldest of seven siblings, caring for children has always been part of who I am. From a young age, I learned the importance of patience, responsibility, and nurturing others—lessons that continue to shape the way I care for children and support families every day.

I earned my degree in Management, Advertising, and Computer Programming from Chadron State College and built a successful career in the banking industry. Beginning as a teller, I quickly advanced through various roles and eventually found my niche as a Loan Officer at TierOne. While that career was rewarding, it was motherhood that ultimately called me in a different direction.

In 2004, I made the decision to transition from the business world into childcare—a choice I have never once regretted. Each year has brought new joy and purpose. One of my greatest privileges is watching infants grow into confident, expressive little people, discovering their personalities and independence. At the same time, some of my hardest moments are saying goodbye as children move on to school or a new chapter in their lives.

Balancing my work family and my home family has been my greatest challenge and my greatest gift. Both are deeply connected to my heart, and both inspire me to create a place where children feel safe, loved, and truly known.

In my spare time, I enjoy reading, continuing to learn, spending time at the lake, and golfing. At Smiling Faces Academy, every family is welcomed with open arms, and it is truly an honor to be trusted with your child during these precious early years.

My promise to you as a parent is to care for your child with the same patience, consistency, and compassion I would want for my own. I promise to create a safe, nurturing environment where your child is seen, supported, and encouraged to grow—emotionally, socially, and academically—every single day.

Why I Started Smiling Faces

I’m often asked why I chose to leave a successful career in the business industry to enter the childcare field. The answer is simple—and very personal. I became a mother again.

When my second child, a son, was born, we quickly learned that he needed a very specific and consistent routine. Even as an infant, the smallest change in his schedule could cause fevers, which later developed into migraines during his toddler and preschool years. Something as simple as cousins visiting for a weekend could trigger days of high fevers that had to be carefully managed to stay under 102 degrees to prevent seizures.

While structure and predictability were essential, last-minute changes also became part of our daily reality. He was an incredibly active child with very little need for sleep. My husband and I realized that in order to truly support his health and well-being, we needed to be the ones in control of his environment and routine—from sunup to sundown. That consistency was the only way we could begin to predict and manage the cycles of fevers, migraines, and eventually the sleep disorder that followed.

Like many parents, we tried traditional childcare settings. After two difficult experiences, it became clear that we needed a different solution—one built around understanding, flexibility, and truly knowing each child’s individual needs. So in 2004, we opened our in-home childcare program in Lincoln, Nebraska.

In 2008, our family relocated to Kearney due to my husband’s commercial electrical work, and I relocated my in-home childcare as well. As our vision grew, so did Smiling Faces. We opened our first childcare center in May 2010, our second center in May 2012, relocated and expanded our first center in August 2016, and opened our third center in February 2017.

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Smiling Faces was born out of love, necessity, and the belief that children thrive best when they are understood, supported, and cared for as individuals. What began as a solution for our own family has grown into a place where countless families feel seen, supported, and welcomed—and I wouldn’t change that journey for anything.