After more than 30 years in education, more than 10 years operating a childcare center in Mexico, Alicia Tamez has opened her second childcare center in La Salle.

Tamez opened GOTA International Childcare Center at 941 6th St., the former location of Lighted Way.

“When I came here to La Salle, and I saw the building, I just fell in love with the place,” Tamez said.

Her center in Mexico is small, she said, so she was excited about the amount of space and its potential, since it was already outfitted with many of the requirements of a childcare facility.

She purchased the building in January 2025 and started working on it in July.

GOTA is DCFS licensed for 28 children currently. The building has a capacity for 60 children. The center is accepting children from ages 1 to 6, and Tamez hopes to accept younger children as early as summer.

She’s in the process of pursuing financial assistance for families through the state’s Child Care Assistance Program.

“Most families need support. It’s something we’re facing right now,” she said.

Tamra has a master’s degree in education from the University of Spain in collaboration with Mexico. She has worked in education for more than 30 years and served as an elementary school principal. While working at a school, she opened a daycare in Mexico in 2014.

The center’s name, GOTA, comes from the Spanish word for “drop.”

“To us, it represents a drop of opportunity, a drop of knowledge, and a drop of the future. It is also deeply personal, as it reflects our family name — Gonzalez and Tamez,” Tamez said. “So the name GOTA is both personal and intentional, representing our commitment to making a difference in the lives of children, one small step at a time.”

The word “international” reflects a continuation of their work, having childcare centers in Mexico and now La Salle.

She has given more than 35 tours to families interested in the center and said many parents express concerns about safety, learning, and schedules. Tamez said she understands that choosing childcare is personal.

“Over the past months, while speaking with local families, one common theme has stood out, parents are not just looking for supervision. They are looking for peace of mind,” she said.

GOTA is a bilingual facility teaching in both English and Spanish.

“We want them to be fluent in both languages. We also want them to be close to what is STEAM, science, technology, engineering, art, and math. Even though they are little, by nature, kids are very curious. They want to wander, they want to explore. We want to have that focus with them.”

They also will have time for play, she said, adding the center has a fenced-in yard.

Tamez tells parents their children will be learning in a way that keeps them engaged and exploring through their senses — smell, touch, and sight.

“Our goal here is that the kids are not only taken care of, but they are also enjoying learning, they feel excited to come to school.

“I’m very passionate about education and that’s something I’m looking for in my teachers also. I’m looking for my teachers to be passionate and share the same goal, so when parents come and leave their kids here they can go to work or school or wherever they need to attend and will feel relaxed that their children are well taken care of and challenged to learn, to be better, to discover.”

The center’s hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information or to schedule a tour, call or text 815-780-7623 or 815-780-0277.