Family Testimonials

“As an educator and literacy specialist of 15 years, I have been so impressed by the way that my children’s teachers have fostered a love of learning in their classrooms. I appreciate that my kids are encouraged to be curious, intellectual, silly, and independent while they grow in a safe and loving environment. What a special place!”

Emily W

Mt. Pleasant & Mt. Vernon

“We feel so lucky that every day our two children get to be nurtured by the warm, loving, smart and highly professional teachers at Gretchen’s House. They get to enjoy music, dancing, cooking, and lots of outdoor play on top of tons of reading and snuggles. Our son’s teachers gently encouraged him through the challenges of getting socks on when you have fine motor delays. Our daughter’s teachers patiently and lovingly supported her through rocky developmental stages. And both of their teachers have consistently amazed us with how genuinely happy and relaxed they always seem, despite having very hard jobs! There is so much smiling and laughter. Our kids are in love with Gretchen’s House and so are we. We can’t say thank you enough!”

Trish H

Mt. Pleasant & Mt. Vernon

“Gretchen’s House – Traver has been such a tremendous gift to our three kids. Over the past four years, our family has grown to love and appreciate the committed staff and teachers and play-based approach in the classrooms. It’s a bonus that our grade school child can walk over to GH after school with all the other kids attending after-care at Traver.”

Kelly C

Traver

“We enrolled all our kids in Gretchen’s House from the age of 3 months through the age of 11. Our oldest graduated from Gretchen’s House last year! We trust the staff and value their recommendations (especially when the kids were potty-training). We always felt that our kids were in a safe and caring environment. The kids learned to socialize, problem solve, share, and follow a daily routine under the guidance of their fabulous teachers. The kids also made some beautiful art work while there, which we still have hanging on our walls. We highly recommend Gretchen’s House.”

Jasmine

Dhu Varren

“It means the world to know that our daughter is at a place where her teachers care as much about her health, happiness and success as we do. We are so grateful for Gretchen’s House, and can’t imagine her anywhere else!”

Kellen E

WISD

“Gretchen’s House has been such a gift for our family. In the 6 years since our first child (of three) started at the center, we have never once worried about the care our children have received. We’ve been so appreciative of the support, guidance, and partnership of the teachers throughout the years and feel strongly that our children received the best care possible.”

Angeline B

Dhu Varren

“Little Huskies is the best thing about living here! We’ve learned so much from Little Huskies teachers and administrators about early childhood development as well as curriculum and assessment design! It’s always great to see what they’re doing in the classroom, and our kids have loved it!”

Andy and Laura F

Little Huskies (Houghton)

“When we were looking for child care for our first child, the Gretchen’s House Child Development Center at Dhu Varren road attracted us because it is a top notch facility that is clean and well-maintained with plenty of toys and activities for children of all ages. The focus on child-led play and other aspects of the curriculum were also very appealing to us as new parents. As our family has grown to a family of five, all three of our children have attended Gretchen’s House Dhu Varren. And it is no longer the facility and the curriculum that make us so happy to be a part of the Gretchen’s House community – it is the people. Everyone at the center, from the directors, to the classroom teachers, to the support staff, really care for the children. They nurture them, fully invest their energy into supporting the kids as they grow, and understand the children’s interests and cultivate them. We have made strong bonds with the staff at Gretchen’s House and know that they are outstanding professionals who excel at supporting parents and caring for our children.”

Michael S

Dhu Varren

“We moved our three year-old to GH from another center. Within one year, we saw phenomenal improvements in his language, social-emotional, and independent living skills (e.g., table manners, toilet training, getting dressed). We love the frequent teacher check-ins and the convenient daily hot lunch program. Overall, our experience with GH has exceeded our expectations.”

Lisa

Oak Valley

“Having our daughter at Gretchen’s House has been such a gift to our family. She started at Mt. Vernon in the Upstairs Preschool and is now a Dragonfly there. We love how the teachers let the kids be kids while giving them flexibility within structure. They treat every child with respect and help them learn how to communicate about their ideas, needs, and emotions. We get tons of pictures and stories every week and are so grateful for all the special activities the teachers curate. The teachers also make sure to know the parents first names, which might seem like a small thing, but is further evidence of the culture and environment they create. Once our daughter starts Kindergarten, we plan to send her to Scamp in the summers for as long as she’ll go!”

Heidi B

Mt. Vernon

“It’s always stressful to leave your child at a new care center, but we knew immediately that the teachers and childcare philosophy at Little Huskies were topnotch when our son ran away from us at pickup to stay and keep playing at Little Huskies on his very first day. It’s a trend that persists a year on into his time at Little Huskies.”

Kristin B

Little Huskies (Houghton)

“Both of my kids have been at Gretchen’s House since they started daycare (My toddler at 16 weeks and my daughter at 8 weeks). I am consistently impressed with the quality of the teacher / child relationship. Each teacher really knows the kids in the classroom and embraces their individual personality and needs. My kids are in the same classroom and seeing how they handled the transition to becoming a big brother was amazing, including the support and guidance given to me as mom. I couldn’t be happier with the center – which is evident by the fact that I sent my daughter at 9 weeks old without hesitation!”

Kate H

Mt. Pleasant

“I don’t know where to start! Gretchen’s House has nurtured our children, given them countless moments of joy and put them on a path of learning by instilling confidence, self-awareness and the building blocks of problem-solving. The Gretchen’s House parenting workshops have literally taught us how to communicate with our children. Gretchen’s House forged a path through the pandemic that maximized in-person learning while supporting teachers & families. The scamp program offers a fun-filled summer for school-age kids and a reunion with old friends. The Gretchen’s House teachers and community feel like family to us. Enrolling our children at Gretchen’s House is one of the best decisions we have made.”

Sara and John M

Mt. Pleasant & Mt. Vernon

“We have had two children attend Gretchen’s House for the last 8 years. They both began as toddlers and went through the Infant/Toddler rooms, preschool, and then school age and SCAMP. Saying that Gretchen’s House is a wonderful child care center doesn’t begin to describe the incredible impact the community has had on our family. Especially over the last few years with COVID, Gretchen’s House has been a source of safety, stability and love for our kids, and by extension, our whole family. It isn’t easy to drop your kids off and trust their care to someone else, but I never doubt that our kids are deeply loved and thoughtfully cared for by their teachers. Knowing that the activities and social-emotional guidance they participate in each day are rooted in the research-based High/Scope Curriculum also means a lot. The first years of life set the framework for a lifetime, and I’m so thankful that our kids had the opportunity to spend those years at Gretchen’s House.”

Katie K

Mt. Pleasant, Mt. Vernon, Zion

“One of the biggest reasons we decided to stay in Ann Arbor, rather than relocate to be near family, was the care our children received at Gretchen’s House. GH is so good that we decided not to move. We effectively decided that GH was more important than our kids proximity to grandparents and other family. Wow—it’s hard for me to write it out that clearly, but it’s true.”

Anonymous

Mt. Pleasant & Mt. Vernon