![Marilyn Bowman at her old location with two of her children she cares for, Maxwell Korse and Caroline Hanes. [RAMON RIOS/PRESS GAZETTE]](http://127.0.0.1/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/ghows-DA-8dcfc3bd-600f-78e8-e053-0100007f44d6-dd1118f3.jpeg)
JAY — Marilyn Bowman and her business are on the move.
On July 20, she will have the grand opening of the Ms. Marilyn's Little Olives Daycare & Education Center at 9475 Chumuckla Highway.
"We are planning to have hotdogs, hamburgers, cotton candy, popcorn, water slides and a bounce house," Bowman said.
The grand opening is free to the public and is scheduled from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
After running her daycare and education center for from her home for 10 years, Bowman's homeowners' association decided not to allow businesses to be operated out of private homes. Bowman started looking for a suitable building and said when she saw the facility next to Chumuckla Community Church, she knew it was the place.
"It's God's way," Bowman said. "It was perfect for what I needed."
The new center is a little over 2,800 square feet and has several enclosed rooms throughout the building. It has a large outside play area that is completely fenced.
"We have a capacity to care and teach 81 children," Bowman said.
Right now, the center has 10 children enrolled. The operating hours are 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The first day of classes and daycare at the new location is Aug. 12.
The center has a full kitchen and will serve breakfast, lunch and two snacks per day for every child.
"I'm excited to get started," Bowman said. "We are checking all the licensing and state certifications needed to run this center and I need to hire a few more teachers."
This year Bowman gave the first annual Ms. Marilyn's Little Olives Daycare & Education Center scholarship to Pace graduate Bianca Morton.
Bowman has said before that she is giving back to the community that helped her when she needed it.
"I plan to give the scholarship every year to a child that is graduating high school with a 3.0 grade point average and was once a Little Olive," Bowman said. "I would love to invite former students to come and enjoy the grand opening.
This article originally appeared on Santa Rosa Press Gazette: Ms. Mayilyn's moving to new home