INDIANAPOLIS — For months, the owner of a childcare center on the city's east side fought to stay open during the pandemic. But Keyana Williams says that due to low attendance and short staffing, eventually led to them being forced to close their doors.
“Once we were able to take the children back, the staff declined and it was just kind of like up and down and we never really got to get ahead over here,” Williams said. “So I had decided to close.”
It was a tough decision for Williams to close her childcare center, located at Emerson and East 21st Street after just opening it two years ago as their second location. Her south side childcare center, however, survived.
“There was a need for quality childcare and we did try to bring that to the east side,” said Williams. “But I believe with everything going on with the pandemic, we were not able to be successful.”
Williams says they couldn’t provide the transportation many families required on the east side, due to staffing shortages. But not wanting to leave the community and knowing the need for more businesses in the area, she re-invented the space to open a new kind of business by creating Innovative Moments, a selfie studio.
“I want to help everyone create big memories with their friends, their family, just loved ones in general, and take selfies,” she said. “Be more open and smiling and be able to gather because everyone was inside with COVID-19.”
With 11 different design sets, ranging from an old-fashioned diner to a boxing gym, Vegas-themed, floral and multi-light backgrounds, Williams says people can take any kind of photos they would like. "For their companies, music videos, family portraits, business meetings, and baby showers," she added.
She wants everyone to take pictures and create happy memories after everything people have been through the past two years.
“No matter what you’re going through, to love yourself and be happy within whatever situation that you’re going through,” Williams said.
You can find Innovative Moments on both Facebook and Instagram, call 317-493-1383 to schedule a session.
