"Nurturing the seeds of the future by growing the mind, spirit, and imagination"
We are closed the following holidays:
• New Year’s Day
• Memorial Day
• 4th of July
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Day after Thanksgiving
• Christmas Eve Day
• Christmas Day
Angie Hodkiewicz
Administrator/Owner
angieh@pgkids.net
Jason Hodkiewicz
Business Director/Owner
jasonh@pgkids.net
Although Play & Grow started on July 1, 2008, the idea and plan began about 13 years earlier. While attending college in Stevens Point, Jason and Angie, recently engaged, had thought about starting a child care center. It seemed to be a perfect fit since Jason was finishing up a business degree and Angie was working toward a teaching degree. After college Jason followed a retail management career, while Angie gained experience in both a child care setting and as a fifth grade teacher. After several years the idea of starting a child care center ended up on the back burner. Angie’s career brought her back into child care and she worked her way up to a Center Director. It was here that she was able to learn the ins and outs of the various regulations and the operations of a child care center. In the early part of 2008 Jason had an opportunity present itself for the purchase of a struggling child care center. Right away he knew that this was the opportunity that Angie and he had considered thirteen years earlier. With several changes to the operations, they saw the potential of this center and decided to pursue this opportunity. The process was challenging, but on July 1, 2008, Play & Grow Learning Center was born.
The timing of this new center was not ideal as the economy began its worst recession in many years and Jason and Angie often wondered if they made the right decision. They had to do whatever it took to keep things going through the first year and a half such as doing the carpet and floor cleaning themselves and doing a lot of the food shopping and delivery in order to keep costs down. They stayed focused on improving the center by building good relationships with the parents and constantly improving the staff. An enrichment program was created to offer additional educational programs such as Phonics, Spanish, and music lessons.
After about a year and a half their hard work started to pay off. Enrollment started to increase and the word started to get out about the quality of care that Play & Grow provides. In fact, the response was so good that Jason and Angie decided to open a second location in Grand Chute in the fall of 2011. This second location will continue with the same philosophy of building excellent parent relationships, an ongoing focus on communication between parents, teachers, and management, and making Play & Grow Learning Center a place that your children will enjoy coming to every day.
Vice President of Valley AEYC
Local Division of the
National Association for the Education of Young Children