New child care center opens in Dickinson County, additional spots still available

BREITUNG TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WLUC) - The Northern Discovery Preschool and Childcare Center is the latest addition to child care in Dickinson County. The center opened last week and is already half full of enrolled children.

“We have 2,400 square feet in this building. We can go up to 48 kids. We start as young as six weeks old and go up to five-years-old,” said Emily Rotter, Northern Discovery Preschool and Childcare Center owner.

Rotter purchased the building off US-2 near Pine Mountain Road last July. Formerly a bait and tackle shop, she has been renovating it for about a year. Rotter adds parents looking for child care have been eager for the preschool to open.

“The demand for child care is definitely high,” Rotter said. “We do take the state assistance in Michigan for families. That is an option too.”

Rotter said there are currently 10 staff members working. She will look to hire more as enrollment increases. Rotter said parents with older children can also enroll for the summer.

“For the summer, we are extending our age range a little bit to include some of the school age children,” Rotter said. “There is also still availability for a few more kids in each of our rooms.”

The interior remodel has been completed and Rotter said exterior construction should be finished soon.

“They are just kind of buttoning things up with the window casings and a handful of other small projects,” Rotter said.

The child care center has four separate classrooms, including a fenced-in outdoor space for children to play.

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