August 20, 2018 – West Bend, WI – There is a new daycare center in town, and it’s at Saint Frances Cabrini. Little Saints Early Learning Center is currently accepting registrations. The center serves children as young as 6 weeks through age 3.
The program’s new director is Missy Dieterich (photo, left). With a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Administration, Missy has been involved in education for nearly 20 years, specializing in early childhood curriculum and teacher development.
In addition to the daycare, Missy will also serve as director of the school’s wrap-around care programs: before-school care, after-school care, and homework center, which will all fall under the Little Saints umbrella. Starting next year, the school’s summer day camp will also come under her direction.
The idea for the center came about because the school saw the need for families to have a single place for all their young children. The Education Center building, which was originally the convent, provided an ideal location. Although it’s used for activities in the evenings and on the weekends, the building was often unused during the day. There is also a large open area just outside the building which is large enough for a new fenced playground for the youngsters. There will be an indoor playground in the building’s largest room as well, for days that are too cold or rainy to play outdoors.
Families don’t need to be Cabrini members or Catholics to enroll in the Little Saints Center. It is open to everyone.
Hired in April, Missy has been working full-time, renovating the space, acquiring toys and equipment, making plans, and hiring staff. She is grateful for the enormous amount of volunteer help she’s already been receiving, from parishioners, alumni, and high schoolers from all the area parishes. And she is excited to be spearheading this project. “I’ve always enjoyed doing this, starting centers from the ground up and running them.”
Little Saints is the second program Missy has started. She previously founded a preschool center in Racine, WI, that continues to thrive. When her husband’s job change led the family to move, she took a position at a center in Sussex, where she served as Director for six years.
The center is currently hiring full-time and part-time teachers. She is also looking for volunteers to fill a variety of roles, such as helping to supervise homework center for students in grades 3 and up, rocking babies in the early morning hours, and helping with toddlers and small children at the end of the day, as they get ready to go home.
The center is also looking for additional donations of toys and equipment. Any that can’t be used will be donated in turn to the Women’s Support Center of Wisconsin, which helps pregnant and single mothers.
The center won’t follow the regular school-year calendar, which means it will be open on many days when the school is closed. On those days, optional all-day care will be offered to school-age children enrolled in the wrap-around care programs.
On August 5th there will be a blessing of the new center, followed by an open house that will begin immediately after the 10:00am Mass, at approximately 11:00.
In the words of the center’s new director: “As I continue to work toward setting up our wonderful center, I thank God for all of you and this opportunity. Please keep Saint Frances Cabrini and Little Saints Early Learning Center in your prayers. May He continue to shower His blessings upon us.”
The center is open year round, from 6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.
You may contact Missy at mdieterich@wbparishes.org, or 262-334-7142, if you are interested in a job working with small children, or in volunteering, or if you are looking for affordable, quality child care in a Catholic setting.