BethAny Freimuth did not initially set out to build a childcare enterprise. According to her, Ascensions began in the most personal way possible, in her children’s grandparents’ living room, shaped by a simple conviction: she did not want to leave her own child in someone else’s care. She says what started as a solution for her family quickly became a trusted space for others. Friends began asking her to watch their children. Demand grew, and with it, her responsibility.
Over the next decade, Freimuth built a deeply rooted in-home childcare practice. She gravitated toward children who needed more attention, more patience, and more understanding. Many of them came with behavioral challenges or developmental needs. She believes these early years shaped her philosophy and sharpened her instincts as both a caregiver and a leader.
“We did start by specializing in kids with special needs,” she says. “Unfortunately, the landscape of early child education has changed. And we are seeing well over 50 percent of kids in the classroom experiencing things such as behavioral challenges, speech delays, or gross motor delays.”
Her observation reflects a broader shift in early childhood education. Early childhood classrooms are shaped by growing diversity, requiring more individualized and adaptive support systems. Freimuth believes that her experience positions her ahead of that curve. She emphasizes that she built her approach around adaptability, empathy, and accountability.
In September 2022, she reached a turning point when an opportunity emerged to take over a childcare center. Freimuth stepped in, and within the first year, she says the business grew on a larger scale. Today, Ascensions partners with local schools and is preparing to expand into a second location.
For Freimuth, growth, however, has never been the sole metric of success. “The culture that I have with my employees, and with my families, that is my defining factor. I think that’s what really attracts people to us, but it’s also what makes them stay for a long time,” she says. “Our staff is super collaborative. I’m not spending any time micromanaging. My teachers are teachers, and that’s what they love to do, so I give them the space to do that within parameters.”
According to her, this philosophy has allowed Ascensions to operate with both structure and autonomy. Educators are trusted to lead in the classroom. Families are treated as partners in the developmental journey. The result, she adds, is an environment where consistency and flexibility coexist.
Freimuth also looks beyond her immediate geography for insight. She actively seeks counsel from organizations outside her region, including international models from the UK, to refine both academic delivery and business strategy. This outward perspective, she believes, helps her avoid the stagnation that can come from relying on familiar systems.
Yet the foundation of her approach remains deeply personal. Freimuth is a mother of seven, five of whom she adopted through guardianship and other circumstances. She calls them her ‘heart babies,’ and credits them with shaping her understanding of children in ways no formal training could.
“My experience with my babies has been the best crash course I could have ever taken,” she says. “You’re caring for a little human who has a culmination of many different experiences, most of which I have not and will not ever experience myself.”
She emphasizes that her perspective reframes how behavior is interpreted in the classroom. Rather than labeling actions as disruptive or attention-seeking, she views them as communication rooted in lived experience. “One of my biggest pet peeves is when people say a child is attention-seeking,” she explains. “Yes, they are, but can we change the word from attention to connection? Because that’s really what it is. All behavior is a form of communication.”
Freimuth highlights compassion while maintaining clear expectations. She advocates for accountability from an early age, paired with an understanding of the emotional and psychological factors that shape behavior.
She also notes the challenges families often face. Many parents struggle to acknowledge developmental concerns due to stigma or fear. Freimuth sees early intervention as critical and urges families to act quickly when concerns arise. “We have to help people let go of whatever stigma is around these challenges,” she says. “As soon as there’s concern, accessing early intervention gives you a bigger runway.”
Her work reflects a broader mission to redefine what quality childcare looks like. For her, it is not limited to supervision or academic preparation. It is about building trust, fostering resilience, and creating a space where both children and educators can thrive.
As Ascensions prepares for its next phase of growth, Freimuth remains focused on the principles that brought her to it in the first place: Purpose-driven care, strong culture, and a willingness to evolve.
As she says, “All behavior is a form of communication. When we understand that, everything about how we show up for children begins to change.”
