Discovery Kidzone Children’s Fair Connects Bozeman Families With Childcare Support

Bozeman, Mont. — A children’s fair in Bozeman brought local families and nonprofit groups together as parents shared where support is still needed across the Gallatin Valley.  

Discovery KidZone, a Montessori preschool and daycare in Bozeman, hosted its second annual children’s fair for infants through first-grade families.  

The event included games, face paint, and nonprofit organization resources for children and parents.  

For many parents, the event also provided a chance to talk about the daily reality of raising children while managing work and childcare.  

“It means pretty much everything to me, you know? I’ve always wanted to be a mom, and you know, it kind of gives life a new meaning to be able to have a family and be a parent,” said local Bozeman parent Aleisha Azzolino.  

Azzolino became a mom in 2024. When she isn’t caring for her daughter, she is working shifts at a local healthcare clinic as a nurse. She says that because of this schedule, finding consistent childcare can be a challenge. 

“My husband and I, we’re both nurses, so it is hard to find childcare, especially for a 12-hour shift,” said Azzolino. “So, I switched to working in a clinic because it was easier than working in the hospital. So, I really wish they had some kind of childcare for hospital workers because that would be very beneficial to people,” she said.  

Azzolino explained that her family connected with Discovery KidZone because its schedule worked better for them.  

“I really like this discovery kidzone because they had the best hours and my husband and I are both nurses and they’re open from 7:30 to 5:30pm, so it’s really nice and helpful for families that don’t have that extra help like after school or anything like that,” said Azzolino.  

The fair also helped connect families with local services through nonprofit partners. Samantha Foster, an employee at Family Outreach said that for families in need of services, finding resources is the first step. 

“Families who don’t know about our services can’t get our services and that’s really hard especially when I’ve met with several families who are like ‘hey, if we knew your program existed, we would’ve reached out sooner,” said Samantha Foster.  

The event also highlighted a broader pressure point in Gallatin County as according to the Department of Labor, families in the county are spending an average of 12% of their income on childcare. 

For Azzolino, the fair was also about building connections with other parents in Bozeman.  

“I don’t know a lot of people in the area again since I’ve been away for the last six years, so it’s kind of nice to be able to build that community back again and have some friends that are in a similar situation as me,” said Azzolino. 

If you would like to learn more about Discovery Kidzone, you can visit www.discoverykidzone.com.