Learning Tree Child Care Center

A Little History


The Learning Tree was established in July of 1975. We opened our center, licensed for 25 children, on West Wisconsin Street in downtown Portage. At that time, we served children ages 2 to 6 years, walking the kindergarten children from the center to the Cottage School building in the first ward and back again. We had a small playground nestled between two buildings with a sandbox, homemade climber and wood chips for ground cover. It was cozy, with a painting of "Tweety Bird" cov¬ering one window next door and "Sylvester" on the other (just in case a stray ball should fly the wrong way). In 1983, we rented the Woodridge Kindergarten building on East Slifer Street from the Portage School District (taking "Tweety Bird" with us) and moved to expanded quarters. We were now licensed for 50 children and included school age care. It was great having a huge yard, grass and trees and being next door to the school. In the spring of 1987, we were notified that the school district needed their building back to meet the need for more kindergarten space. We frantically searched for a building or space to rent, to no avail. Meeting the ever increasing day care regulations, there was noth¬ing suitable. Our only alternative was to purchase land and build our own center. Within a month, we purchased land, hired a contractor and began designing our present building. Portage Lumber worked diligently to get the center completed by August first, our vacating date at Woodridge.