The Visible Learning Center, Ypsilanti’s newest childcare operation, opened its doors this month at 1189 East Michigan Avenue.
The $250,000 facility was started by Hisham Dari and is run by Mariam Breed, head director, Shaaban Dari, development coordinator and his sister Harun Dari.
Harun Dari is the lead teacher for infants and toddlers. She earned her degree in early childhood development at Washtenaw Community College and said she started the center because she knew lots of parents who couldn’t finish their degrees because they do not have access to a reliable, safe place for their children to stay.
“There are parents who can’t continue their education,” Harun Dari said. “They don’t have family out here, and they need evening care.”
The Visible Learning Center sets itself apart from other childcare centers with its unique hours – 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. By staying open as late as Eastern Michigan University and WCC has classes, VLC aims to provide students with children the opportunity to go to class or work while their children are taken care of.
EMU has a child care facility in the Fletcher Building, but it closes at 5:30 p.m. and does not care for children older than six.
The open house, which took place Thursday, was attended by dozens of children and their parents. The 74-pupil childcare center is open to children from infancy to 12 years old. The building itself is over 4,500 square feet and has been completely remodeled. It sits on 2 acres of green and well-shaded property.
The school does not use a one-size-fits-all approach to education. According to their website, their Creative Curriculum is “one of the most powerful ways to improve child outcomes.”
The staff gets to know and takes notes on each student. They start students off by getting to know what they are good at the first week and build on that, while simultaneously working on what they are weak in. Periodically, the staff has conferences with children’s parents to reassess progress and plan how to proceed.
“[In] Ann Arbor there’s a lot of centers open but there’s not [many] options in Ypsilanti,” Harun Dari said. “When you go to Ann Arbor you find multiple centers next to each other. In Ypsilanti there’s not that many.”
In addition to convenient hours, VLC said they are committed to providing an environment that is safe and provides quality education. All members of the staff who interact with the children are CPR certified.
“We grew up with a family that valued education and also we have firm a belief of building onto our community and we [are] wanting to build in Ypsilanti,” Shaaban Dari said.
Located behind the Heritage Medical Plaza, the neighborhood around it is not in the best shape, but the childcare facility stands out as a clean, safe and completely up-to-date facility.
The building was remodeled from scratch and the building included a brand new kitchen and computers for the children. There are four rooms for different age groups and a large fenced playground. A lot of the 2-acre property is unused and Mr. Dari said they hoped to eventually make it into a community garden.
Enrollment is open. The Visible Learning Center is located at 1189 East Washtenaw Ave. You can contact them at 734-717-5057.
