Local business sets up 'school' area for kids of working parents

The big question for many parents: What am I going to do with my children once school starts?

One local businesses came up with a unique solution for their employees – and their children.

Erin Yates is a Realtor at Keller Williams Realty in Fayetteville. She's also the mother of two children who are taking classes on computers – not in classrooms.

She presented an idea to her boss to combine her workspace with a space for the children of employees to do remote schoolwork.

"We need to do something because we have so many kids, and they're all really good, and we have the space," she said. "Can we please just maybe make a space where we can have the kids do schooling here while we can work?"

The company met with its employees and developed the KW Kids Club School Area. The space is large enough to handle about 20 children, and it offers computers and some staffing to help navigate lessons.

"The space is usually for agents, but it was perfect for this because the partitions were already up. It's already set up for social distancing," said Julie Martin, the CEO for Keller Martin Realty.

The company CEO says they were already family-friendly before the pandemic, so the children were used to coming into the office with their parents.

"We've had to put down some ground rules. That it's a little different. You just can't just come get candy from my office any time want. You have to stay in your seat in your area just like you would be if you were at school," said Martin.

The students here come from Moore, Hoke, Harnett Cumberland counties. The firm says they're going to do this as long as they have to until these kids are back in school.

The company's CEO say while they can handle about 20 children right now – and they do have space in another part of the building to handle more if needed.​