Mt. Pleasant child care center finds new home

MT. PLEASANT - The Mt. Pleasant Childcare Center board is one step closer to making the new center a reality.

The board announced Tuesday that it had signed a letter of intent to lease the building at 304 W. Washington St., the former Family Video Store, which will house the center.

'We are excited to find a location that is centrally located and one that allows us room to grow,” Sarah Donnolly, board president, said.

Remodeling and renovations on the building will begin later this month. The board will work with local contractors to convert the retail space and make sure the building meets the needs of a licensed child care center.

The board announced in October that it would be moving forward with creating a new center for the community, the first in Mt. Pleasant since 2011. The nonprofit group aims to have the center up and running by early summer, May or June of 2021.

The new center aims to fill a child care need in the community. The nonprofit notes there are 1,041 children under the age of 11 in Mt. Pleasant but only 201 registered child care seats. Additionally, the community has seen a reduction of 51 percent in available child care seats in the last five years. The center will serve approximately 48 children.

'This is truly a community center and any assistance from businesses, groups and individuals will be appreciated,” Donnolly said.