TLC under new ownership
Traci Lauth and Missi Reineke recently sold TLC Learning Center to Mindy Kable and Amanda Gilliland on Jan. 1
TLC Learning Center has been a staple for many, many years in St.Marys as a quality preschool and child care facility. At the beginning Becky Ballenger, Jenny Johnides, Traci Lauth and Missi Reineke all had private daycares in their homes.
Around 1995, the four decided to team up to start TLC Learning Center at Hillsdale United Brethren Church.
TLC experienced tremendous growth and the four needed to expand the business in 2001. They took on more staff and moved TLC Learning Center to the Ace Hardware Plaza to provide more room to expand and grow. In 2007, Traci and Missi purchased and renovated the former Rite-Aid building located at 1560 Celina Road where TLC still resides today. The center now employees 31 dedicated staff members.
Kable and Gilliland have worked at TLC for many years and have always been dedicated employees to the TLC Learning and always showed an ambition and desire to one day take over the business. “We’re very excited,” said Kable. “It’s a great opportunity that we both have dreamt about.”
Both Kable and Gilliland said they’re looking forward to continuing quality care to the children and families in and around our community.
TLC is licensed by the state of Ohio and is a Star One Center with Step up to Quality.
“This means you have met and excelled beyond your licensing rules. Which is something we take great pride in,” said Reineke.
TLC offers a variety of programs from six weeks to school-age childcare and pre-school classes. All
teachers and aids are licensed and participate in regular training and must be certified in child abuse, CPR and communicable disease courses.
“We have always considered ourselves an essential business but have really felt that firsthand this past year during the pandemic,” said Lauth. “TLC has been open each day providing quality care to all our families and have made many modifications to make sure each child and staff member would be in a safe and healthy environment. Keeping our children and staff healthy, safe, and providing a sense of normalcy during a very uncertain year has been our number one goal.
“As the years have passed, we have had the pleasure to provide services for many families and now their children and grandchildren,” said Reineke. “The children and families we have provided childcare for have become part of our family here at TLC. We know that Mindy and Amanda will have that same love for the families to come.”
“The sale of TLC was bittersweet for the both of us, but we felt confident that Mindy and Amanda would carry on the TLC traditions and provide continuous quality care to the children and families at the center,” said Lauth and Reineke. “Goodbyes are never easy, but we are grateful for all the years of support from the community during our time with TLC Learning Center. We will truly miss our TLC families and staff. We would like to thank all our parents for their trust with their most precious possessions, their children. It has truly been our greatest reward to be trusted to watch these children learn and grow under our care.”
TLC is now accepting enrollment for all summer and 2021-2022 fall Programs.
For more information, please contact Amanda Gilliland or Mindy Kable at 419394-4500.