Post Falls childcare center expands with infant and toddler program

Two Moms & Tots Childcare has widened its Post Falls footprint again, adding an Infant and Toddler Center at 102 W. 11th Ave. to a preschool program that opened in November 2025. Owner Whitney Gothmann says the goal is a place where curiosity leads and little minds grow, with classrooms shaped by Montessori independence, Waldorf-inspired creativity and hands-on learning.

The expansion matters in a city where child care demand is rising alongside population growth. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates Post Falls had 46,715 residents on July 1, 2025, up 21.0% from the 2020 census base, and says 7.1% of residents are under age 5 and 26.3% are under 18. That mix puts pressure on infant and toddler care first, since those are the hardest slots for working parents to replace when openings disappear.

Gothmann said many daycare settings can feel chaotic, and she believes young children do better when they are given structure, respect and a chance to connect with the world around them. Two Moms & Tots now serves children from infancy through preschool age, with the younger-child center joining the Pre-K program in April 2026.

The center’s Pre-K class currently has 40 children enrolled and room for another 25 to 30, a sign that the business still has space to grow even after its newest expansion. That matters in Kootenai County, where local coverage and child care cost data have repeatedly pointed to severe shortages and long waitlists, especially for infant care.

The staff behind the program includes Pre-K director and lead teacher Kylee Hobbick, owner and Infant and Toddler Director Whitney Gothmann, and lead toddler teacher Amara Rettke-Koester. Idaho Child Care Check lists Two Moms & Tots at 102 W. 11th Ave. in Post Falls, showing the center is licensed and subject to state health and safety inspections.

The move also fits the way Idaho’s child care assistance system is structured. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare says the Idaho Child Care Program serves families with children under age 13, or older if the child has a disability, helping working parents bridge a gap that remains expensive and difficult to fill.

A separate local reference to Two Moms & Tots had already placed the business at 104 W. 11th Ave., Suite A, underscoring how the center is building its presence block by block on West 11th Avenue. For Post Falls families, the latest addition does not erase the shortage, but it does add another licensed option in a fast-growing part of Kootenai County.