ASHLAND — Brandy Scheetz started her career as a fourth grade teacher.
When she had triplets, she took a step back from the classroom and stayed home to raise them. But it wasn’t until her youngest — now 9 years old — entered preschool that she found her love for early childhood care.
She started volunteering in her youngest child’s preschool class, working her way up through the ranks at his preschool in the Medina area.
Scheetz volunteered, then became a teacher and finally took over as director.
“I just fell in love with the whole early childhood experience,” Scheetz said. “That range from birth through 5 years old is just an explosion of learning for children.
“It really is magical to be with those little ones when they are making fresh discoveries — everything from zipping a coat to learning their letters.”
But Scheetz wanted to stretch herself, so she started looking for positions as the director of an early childcare center, encompassing more than just pre-school.
She came across the position for Ashland’s new Foundations Community Childcare director around August, but she wavered about applying for it.
Scheetz’s family lives near Medina, and the drive was farther than she’d wanted at first.
As she started researching, though, she found out about Foundations and the donations that funded its creation.
The process to create the center began with the Ashland County Community Foundation’s Women’s Fund Childcare Initiative. That initiative, launched in 2020, has raised $4.8 million to date.
Most of that money — $3.5 million — built the childcare center. The other $1 million has been placed into an endowment to support the center into the future.
It was that community effort to fund Foundations that made Scheetz apply for the position.
“I was at a great place, and I thought, ‘I can’t leave this place unless I’m going someplace great,’” Scheetz said.
She applied in August, interviewed in October, received the position in December and had her first official day on the job on Jan. 2.
Making progress
Over the course of the last month and a half, Scheetz has worked to get a slew of final details in order for the center.
The structure just received its occupancy permit from the city of Ashland — a key detail that needed to fall into place before the building can open for business.
She’s working to hire kitchen staff, a maintenance person and an assistant director, who she hopes will help hire teachers.
The on-site kitchen needs to be approved by the city health department.
Scheetz is writing staff and family handbooks and working to pick a curriculum for the center. She just received a quote for furniture earlier this week.
Perhaps most importantly, Scheetz is waiting on the state to approve a license for the center to operate. All childcare centers in the state have to receive certification through the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
That process can take up to 60 days. But once that license is approved — hopefully by mid-April — Foundations can begin opening registration for families and offering its services.
“Everything else in this whole project has seemed to fall right in line,” Scheetz said. “So I’m just going to believe at this point, and keep pushing the wheels behind here.”
Filling a need
Once the center opens, it will be able to host 150 students from infants to school-age children.
Scheetz said she’s heard about the specific need Ashland has for infant care. Foundations has a room specifically dedicated to that need.
The board officers for Foundations Community Childcare added that offering more spaces for childcare will help with the workforce in Ashland.
JoAnn Ford Watson, the board president, said she thinks having Foundations open will be an enhancement for Ashland.
Barbie Lange, the vice president of the board, agreed.
She said having a licensed option for infants will allow mothers to return to their jobs, rather than feeling they have to remain home due to a lack of childcare options.
The board approved tuition rates for Foundations on Jan. 10. Currently, those tuition rates are as follows:
- Infants (6 weeks-18 months) — $130 for 3 days per week, $210 for 5 days per week
- Toddlers (18 months-30 months) — $125 for 3 days per week, $200 for 5 days per week
- Toddlers (30 months-36 months) — $125 for 3 days per week, $190 for 5 days per week
- Preschool (3-4 year olds) — $130 for 3 days per week, $200 for 5 days per week
- Preschool (4-5 year olds) — $130 for 3 days per week, $200 for 5 days per week
- K-5th grade for before or after school care — $30 for 3 days per week, $50 for 5 days per week
- K-5th grade for before and after school care — $60 for 3 days per week, $100 for 5 days per week
- K-5th grade summer childcare — $40 per day, $120 for 3 days per week, $200 for 5 days per week
It also costs $30 to register, but for families registering more than one child, those fees cap out at $50 total.
There are 10% discounts for Foundations employees’ children, families enrolling more than one child and for employees of businesses and non-profits who donated to Foundations Community Childcare.
Members of that program, called the Corporate Partnership Program, can receive a 20% discount in total if they have more than one child enrolled.
The building has separate rooms for children in each age group.
Scheetz said children attending Foundations all day will receive breakfast, lunch and two snacks. She added Ashland City Schools is willing to add Foundations to its bus routes, so students who take advantage of before- or after-school care have transportation.
When the center opens, Scheetz said it will operate from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. at first. Parents will be charged a late pickup fee of $1 per minute after closing time.
Part of the center’s goal is to accommodate families who need longer hours than a traditional childcare center might offer.
Scheetz said Foundations will assess how it can meet that need as it opens and families start to enroll.
‘Done with love’
Scheetz, Watson and the rest of the board all said the center wouldn’t be where it is today without the help and support of the City of Ashland.
“This is not traditional — to walk into a facility like this that [happened], through kindness, through donations, through people that want to add something to their community so that their employees are happy, both on the business side and just as a civic-minded community,” Scheetz said.
“I’ve been so impressed.”
Watson said she was thankful for donations from a slew of businesses and foundations including Home Depot, the Samaritan Hospital Foundation, the Norma Foundation, BCU Electric, etc.
Those businesses helped provide blinds, paving, fencing, cribs, toys and nursing needs, along with funding to build the center.
“Our hope is that it will become a community of nurture, care and love,” Watson said. “That’s our heart, and that’s why we did what we did for four years.”
While families wait for Foundations to open, those with interest can visit Foundations’ website and fill out a pre-enrollment interest form.
Scheetz also said anyone with interest in the open positions can find that information on the website.
More than anything, Scheetz said she looks forward to having children in the new building. It’s been quiet to be there on her own, she said.
“I can’t wait until it’s filled with the people and their artwork and their stories,” Scheetz said. “That is the fun part of being in charge of any kind of preschool or early childcare center: just to see and welcome the families and the children.”
Below are photos of the interior and back of Foundations Community Childcare. In the coming months, furniture, playground equipment and decor will be added.
