To say the Pee Wee Patch Child Development Center in Lake Orion runs like a well-oiled machine might be an understatement.
Opened in late June at 1796 S. Lapeer Road, the center provides early care and education to children from six weeks through 13 years old. It currently has 347 children enrolled, with about 250 there on a daily basis in its nearly 16,000 square-foot facility.
When you walk into the building, you are immediately greeted by the front desk staff, and doors leading into the area where the children are kept locked at all times.
“The children’s parents are given ID codes (for the security doors),” explained Pee Wee Patch Director Rhonda Meyers. “We also have a mailbox for each family…communication is very important.”
The center has a multi-purpose room, three infant classrooms (eight children in each classroom, with every four having their own teacher), a kitchen where about 150 lunches are prepared daily, and two young preschool classrooms, each with 16 children and two teachers.
Infants and toddlers at the center each have their own daily activity sheet, where their teachers record information about naps, meals and medicine for parents to take home. Infant classrooms each have a nursery where each child has their own crib.
“We provide everything but the formula,” Meyers said. “There are also phones and computers in every classroom, and a dishwasher for sanitizing.”
Parents are welcome to visit the center, and the toddler classroom includes a one-way window so parents can observe.
“When the children move on (from infant to toddler), their teacher stays with them and moves up with them to become a toddler teacher,” Meyers explained. “There are three toddler classes, each with three teachers and 12 students.”
Classrooms also include security cameras, which are not broadcast over the Internet. Teachers at the center wear scrubs and ID badges so they are easily identifiable to parents.
The center has two playgrounds, one for 5-12-year-olds, and one for smaller children. There is also a splash pad area with sprinklers for the summer. The children go outside twice a day.
“We have K-2, before and after school and Young Fives who alternate days,” Meyers said. “Next year we plan to have a full-day kindergarten program that will go five days a week.”
Meyers said the benefit of children attending the center at a young age is that they have a leg up on the learning process when they start kindergarten.
“Immediately, you start in on the learning process, as opposed to that six weeks of development,” she added. “We also have a one-hour class for toddlers and moms, and that gives them a chance to get to know the program if they aren’t yet looking for care.”
The center also has a third-sixth grade classroom for children in the after school program.
“We also have a pre-kindergarten program that goes four days a week, for children one year before kindergarten,” said Meyers. “In addition, we have a traditional preschool that goes 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., or 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., two days or three days a week, with the school calendar.
“Parents can really design whatever schedule they need,” she said. “We also send home lesson plans to parents so they know what’s being taught…We do a lot of family events…It’s a mentality here of providing them more time to be a family.”
The center was started by investors Camilla Denison, Roger Saillant and Bo Schumaker, who recruited Meyers after she contacted them with questions about developing a child care center for her church, King of Kings Lutheran.
“At the time I was doing licensed home day care, and had been for five years,” she said. “I was also the center director for a large corporate child care center for six years, and I was in Lake Orion Schools Early Childhood for one year.”
Meyers has a master’s degree in early childhood from Oakland University and also has four children of her own.
“The community has absolutely embraced this place,” she said of Pee Wee Patch. “We’ve gotten tremendous support.
“Part of what we do that is so important, is we support families,” she continued. “We have a Patch Pit Stop where parents can grab a coffee or pop, or buy snacks…they can even buy stamps there.”
The center currently has some openings, and they do accept part-time enrollment. Hours are 6 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Mon.-Fri. The phone number is 814-1010, or Meyers can be reached via email at RMeyers@peeweepatch.com.