Kids Unlimited Learning Academy moves into new Fort Smith facility

Over the past nine months, a renovation has transformed the 30,000-square-foot former home office of Beverly Enterprises near Central Mall in Fort Smith into the largest early intervention day treatment facility of Jonesboro-based Kids Unlimited Learning Academy.

The new facility at 1340 S. Waldron Road will increase the number of children with developmental delays treated in Fort Smith to up to 240 daily and will create 120 new jobs, said Marvin Maurras, one of the company’s co-founders. The renovation work was valued at $1.863 million according to Fort Smith building permit numbers.

“Our mission is to take care of families and kids that have delay disabilities. We do that through all kinds of avenues. We have therapy … and we have teachers that help us in classrooms, just taking care of kids’ needs,” said Glen Rounsaville, vice president of Kids Unlimited.

Started in Jonesboro 15 years ago by Maurras and Shelly Keller, Kids Unlimited and its sister company, Miracle Kids Success Academy, have 12 licensed facilities statewide, providing services daily to about 850 children with developmental delays.

The new Fort Smith facility, which had a ribbon cutting Oct. 31, will be the largest early intervention day treatment center in Arkansas, Maurras said. The existing Fort Smith facility at 5400 Euper Lane treats about 80 children. Once the new facility is open, the old facility will be closed.

The facility offers day treatment in diagnostic, screening, evaluation, preventive, therapeutic, rehabilitative and habilitative services, including speech, occupational and physical therapies and any medical or remedial services recommended by a physician. Children must be recommended by a physician for services. The for-profit facility takes ArKids First and private insurance. Keller said some families also do private pay.

The new Fort Smith facility will dedicate 15,000 square feet to advanced therapy services, including a 1,000 square-foot custom-made sensory gym.

“The kids think they are just having fun, but every part of the gym is designed for motor skills and other therapy,” Keller said.

The therapy space will also have a sensory room, a feeding lab, individual therapy offices, evaluation office, dramatic play centers for play-based learning and a 1,500-square-foot training room.

Because all therapists require continuing education training, Kids Unlimited wanted an available space for training. The space will be used for evidenced-based continuing education, employee training, management training and training for families and community members. The room also can be used by the community for support meetings and such, Maurras said.

“This is part of our vision, giving back, something where parents know there is a resource available, a place where they can meet. Getting involved with the community is more and more a part of our vision as well,” he said.

The building includes specialized spaces, designed to provide comprehensive and individualized care to support each child’s development. Future regional facilities are planned that will utilize the Fort Smith physical space as a model, he said.

“It’s just about the kids. You see these changes in these people’s lives forever. … We create hope, a lot of hope for families and lots of improvement. It will be great when we have this one fully staffed. I believe there is a lot of demand in the community,” Maurras said.