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Hartland Child Care Center
by Kathy Lampe, Day Care Director
Believe it or not, we are beginning our 22nd year of Child Care in the “51” building known as the Hartland Community Education Childcare Center. We are located at 10235 School Street in the village of Hartland.
Back in 1988, Mr. Stephen Assenmacher, more commonly referred to as Mr. Ozz, called me and said he wanted some help in starting a new daycare in Hartland. I was perfectly happy where I was, but told him I would see what I could do to help. I’ve been the Day Care Director ever since! When he showed me around the little 51 building, I just couldn’t see how it would ever be ready for children. We had borrowed mis-matched tables and chairs, gently used books and broken crayons from all the elementary schools. I stood in the classroom doorway and thought; well maybe, just maybe this will work after all. The childcare program occupied just two rooms on one side of the hallway and the Hartland Schools alternative education program occupied 2 rooms on the other side of the hallway. The playground had the original equipment from 1951 still in use.
  On the first day we opened, only seven children were enrolled, and our entire staff included Ms. Holly McCarthy (now at Creekside) as our Secretary, Mr.Ozz, Mrs. Karen Metz and me. I was really worried that we had made a big mistake by opening such a huge building for just 7 children! By the end of the first week, 30 children were enrolled and I had hired two more staff. We now have 460 children enrolled from 6 weeks old to 12 years old and as many as 52 staff. We occupy every room in the building and are nearly overflowing in the summer. The playground has a wonderful new structure on it as well as some of the original play equipment.  Hartland had very few places offering Before or After School Programs in 1988. Our center was, and still is, unique in that all the elementary schools converge into our building. We opened the Before and After School Program with very few children, however the children quickly increased in number to fill one classroom. Now the Before and After School children occupy four classrooms. In 1988, Summer Kamp Kids boarded one bus and went on two field trips per week, now they board three busses and enjoy four to five trips plus speakers and the pool every week. |
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