The name on the door reads Spartan Child Development Center, but parents, administrators and university officials are calling it “a dream come true.”
Spartan Child Development Center, a day-care center serving children from 2 weeks to 6 years old in the Lansing area, celebrated the completion of its $2.7 million renovation with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Friday. The project began in 2001 and was completed in May.
“It’s really a dream come true, honestly,” administrative director Robin Zeiter said. “It’s designed to meet the needs of small children.”
The new center has heated sidewalks and floors, child-sized furnishings and hands-on gardening units, among other amenities. The center also is able to accommodate more children, increasing its capacity from 93 to 125.
Located in Spartan Village at 1730 E. Crescent Road, the center first opened in 1971. Known as the Married Students Activity Unit Day Care Center, it served as a laboratory for MSU students studying fields related to early child development. The center became independent of the university in 1980 and was renamed Spartan Kid Care Inc., before taking on its current name.
Zeiter, who began working at the center as an undergraduate intern in 1987, has seen the center go through many changes.
“The need for child care has increased over the last 10 years,” Zeiter said. “We went from a not-so-ideal facility to one that really meets the needs of the children.”
The $2.7 million for the renovation was funded by the university. MSU President M. Peter McPherson, who was a guest speaker at the ribbon-cutting, said this is one of the university’s commitments to children.
“We’re pleased to be able to do this,” McPherson said. “This has been what folks have wanted for a long time. It’ll be helpful for many children not just now, but for years to come.”
Operations in the center did not stop during construction - and watching the addition take form was a learning experience for the children, Alicia Dorset, a journalism senior and public relations intern at the center said.
“The kids were really excited,” Dorset said. “It’s been really exciting to see how this has taken off. It’s fun to have parents come in and ask, ‘How can I get my child on the waiting list?’
Williamston residents Mark and Marilyn Johnson have two children enrolled in the center. They enrolled their oldest child, 4-year-old Daniel, before the renovation, and enrolled their second child, 22-month-old Emma, this year.
“The older facility just limited what could be done,” Marilyn Johnson said. “The staff did a marvelous job, but it was really hard.”
The Johnsons had several reasons why they chose the center, which has seen an increase in applicants since its reopening.
“We were new to the area, and everyone we spoke to spoke highly of the program,” Marilyn Johnson said. “We love the connection to the university, and we wanted a play-based program where they could learn.”
