Jamie Kittleson and Cathie Underwood, Directors
EFC Eden Prairie
Eden Prairie/Minnetonka
Create. Laugh. Learn.
We wish for peace, joy, and happiness for all the children throughout the world. Thank You! If you visit our child care program before lunch or snack time, you will see preschool-aged children signing as well as reciting this wish. Especially for Children in Eden Prairie/Minnetonka strives to provide young children with a strong early childhood experience for infants through school-age.
Using the Creative Curriculum® model, teachers help children achieve individual as well as group goals through play-based learning. Monthly field trips, in-house visitors, and special family events enrich our program. We are located in the upper northwest corner of Eden Prairie, directly bordering Chanhassen and Minnetonka. EFC Eden Prairie/Minnetonka was established in the fall of 1988 and have over 230 years of combined staff experience with children, and managers who have been here since the opening of this program. We invite you to visit our program and meet our teaching staff! We look forward to getting to know your family!
Director
Cathie Underwood
Hi! My name is Cathie, and I am the director here at Especially for Children in Eden Prairie. I have worked at this center since 1988. I live in Chaska with my husband, Dave, and sons, Max, and Sean. Max and Sean attend Minnetonka High School and are alumni of EFC. I have my B.S. teaching degree from Winona State University with a major in Elementary Education and a minor in Early Childhood. I have taught toddlers and young preschoolers at the Eden Prairie location as well as held the position of assistant director. I knew as a little girl that I wanted to teach and work with children. I found my passion was working with early childhood aged children after I graduated from college and have been doing ever since. I love their curiosity, enthusiasm for learning, and smiley faces. It is a privilege to be able to work with young child(ren) each day and get to know your families.
Jamie
Hi! My name is Jamie and I am the director at Especially for Children in Eden Prairie. I have worked at this center since 2007. When I started working here, I got the experience to work in the Pre-Kindergarten room and then moved into the Early Preschool Room and now I have worked up to being an Assistant Director. I have my Bachelor of Science from St. Cloud State University in Elementary Education. I live on a hobby farm in Minnetrista with my husband Jeff and three children Lizzie, Sam, and Jacob. Some of the fun things I like to do is photography, boating, riding the Harley and spending time with my family and friends.
Infant Teaching Staff
Rubie
Hi, my name is Rubie, and I began working at Especially for Children in March of 2022. I have four sisters and have a lot of experience babysitting from watching my younger sisters. I love children and I love spending time with them. I attend Holy Family High School and in my free time I enjoy hanging with my friends, reading books, watching my favorite Netflix shows, and listening to music.
Michelle
Hi! My name is Michelle and I am a teacher in the Infant room. I have been working in childcare for over 23 years. I owned my own day care for over 17 years. I am married to my best friend for over 29 years. We have five children and 18 grand children who are our world. We enjoy camping with our family. We love spending lots of time with our grandchildren. My husband and I enjoy working in our yard and garden together. We love to travel with our grand babies too. I am so excited to work for Especially for Children.
Hannah
Hi, I’m Hannah! I joined Especially for Children in August of 2023. You will be seeing me help out in either the Infant rooms or the Toddler rooms as well. I have always known that I would one day be working with young children. I just moved to Minnetonka from Blaine with my boyfriend and my fur baby Pikachu. I am super excited to be here at Especially for Children!
Larissa Stephenson
Hi! My name is Larissa and I am the teacher of the Older Infants or also known as the Bumblebee Room. I have been working for EFC since 2013. I went to the University of Central Missouri and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Development. While I was there, I was fortunate enough to be a student athlete. I was on the Division II Women’s Bowling team. Bowling is a passion of mine along with family. I love spending quality time with my husband Rob, my daughter Lily and son Cash. I love working with children of all ages.
Uma Gandra
Hi, my name is Uma and I am a teacher in both younger and older infant rooms. I have been with Especially for Children since 2015. I received my master’s in mathematics at Osmania University. I live in Eden Prairie with my family. I worked at KUMON (math and reading) center for the last five years. I helped children from the ages of 3-12 years. I love working with children of all ages. I am excited to be part of Especially for Children.
Toddler Teaching Staff
Olivia
Hi! My name is Olivia and I started working at Especially for Children since 2022. I am so happy to be here! I live in Chanhassen with my family and our dog, Mohave. When I am not at work I enjoy reading, sewing, and taking my dog to the park. I am currently working on completing my Child Development Associates degree and have plans to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood and Special education once complete.
Camari
Cayenne
Hello, my name is Cayenne, and I am a teacher in the infant room. I attended Macalester College in St. Paul where I majored in Applied Math and Statistics, graduating in 2017. My hobbies include beading gats and earrings, drawing and painting, and playing with my dog named Tito. I am excited to be here at EFC and look forward to working with your children.
Fatma
Hi, my name is Fatma. I have been with Especially for Children since September 2023. I was born in Algeria, and I am a proud parent of three wonderful children, along with two cats. I am fluent in four languages which allows me to connect with people from various backgrounds. I am very excited to be joining the EFC Team and working with children.
Christine Schrupp
Hi! My name is Christine and I have been with EFC since 2014. I graduated from St. Mary’s University in Winona, MN with a B.S. Degree in Social Science. I live in Watertown, MN with my husband Wyatt and my son Connor. We love going camping and fishing in our spare time.
Preschool/Pre-K Teaching Staff
Gail Serbesku
Hi, my name is Gail and I am the younger preschool teacher in the Dolphin room. I have worked for EFC since 1997 and in childcare for over 30 years. I live in St. Louis Park with my husband. We enjoy going up north and being outdoors in the summer and winter. We like watching sports and cheering on the Vikings and The Wild. Some of my favorite things are to watch for Bald Eagles and eat Bananas.
Lynn Livingston
My name is Lynn, I am the older preschool room teacher in the Pre-K room. I began my career with Especially for Children in November 1989. I graduated from the University of Minnesota with a B.S. degree in Elementary Education. I have worked with children 16 months to 4th grade but have spent the most years in the Preschool age groups. I love that I can play a part in a child’s development. They are so much fun! In my off hours I work part-time at Caribou Coffee at the Byerly’s location, hanging out with family and volunteer at my church.
Ricky M.
I first started at Especially for Children as a sub in 1990; I loved it so much I became a full-time staff person in the fall of 1991. You will see me as a teacher in both older and younger preschool rooms. Over the years I have left a few times to pursue other careers and opportunities. My latest return was in 2005 and I have been happy to be back ever since. Over my 20+ years I have worked with all age groups infants through school agers. Nowadays, you will find me working in the young and older preschool rooms. When not at EFC you may find me working behind the scenes at Children’s Theatre Company or Stages Theatre Company. From time to time you may also find me performing onstage in community theatres around town. My hobbies include acting, singing, attending theatre, riding my bike, swimming, and watching movies. FUN FACT: My legal first name is really Ricky. My mom was a huge Ricky Nelson fan.
Kaelyn
Hi! My name is Kaelyn and I have been working at EFC since 2013. When I started working here, I was just a high schooler and was a teacher’s aide and now I am a lead teacher in the young preschool room. I graduated Iowa State University perusing a degree in Child, Adult and Family Services with an emphasis on the child. In my free time I enjoy listening to music, spending time with family and friends, reading and playing with my dog, Millie.
Kate
Hi, I am Kate and I have been with Especially for Children since 2018. I am so excited to be working with child/ren in the Pre-K room. I have a bachelor’s degree in French and a minor in history and political science from Concordia College in Moorhead. I am married and have four children. My two oldest children did attend the Edina EFC and I could not have been happier with the care and love they received there. I am the oldest of eight children in my family and have loved being around kids my whole life. I especially enjoy reading to children. My hobbies are reading, cooking, and reading about cooking.
Additional Teaching Staff
CeCe
Hi! My name is Cecelia, but people call me CeCe. I have been working at Especially for Children since August of 2021.
Siri A.
Hi! My name is Siri and started working for Especially for Children since July of 2022. I work with all the ages and jump around to the different classrooms each week. I attend Minnetonka High School and I plan on studying to become a doctor. My favorite things to do outside is snowboarding with my friends and family as well as hanging out with my sisters.
Sadina
Hi, my name is Sadina and I have been with EFC since 2019. I graduated from Minnetonka High School in 2017. When I do go back to college, I will be going for child development. One day I would like to become a lead teacher or start my own day care business. My favorite thing to do outside are photography (even though I have not done it lately), hang out with my family and try to collect my favorite old Disney movies.
Lindsey Dehn
Hi! I am Lindsey and I have been working at EFC since 2019. I have been working with kids for quite a few years. Nothing makes me happier than being with kids! I graduated from North Central University with a BA in Psychology and I hope to get my Master’s in Child Counseling within the next few years. Outside of work, I love to read, paint, ice skate, write, and be by the lake. One of the greatest things about this job is that there is the opportunity to believe in these kids and encourage them to reach their full potential.
Romi
Hi, my name is Romi. I have been working at Especially for Children since August of 2022. I am currently at Chanhassen High School and graduate in 2024. I am so excited to be a part of Especially for Children. I love working with young children. I love to watch them explore and learn. In my free time I love to spend time with my friends and family.
EFC Eden Prairie/Minnetonka:
November Newsletter Photos