Coleman Family Center Always Family Focused
It takes a village to raise a child.
And to raise a child in this village, it takes the Coleman Family Center.
“Our center is the hub … the one-stop location that’s focused on helping Coleman children and families in whatever way we can,” said Terrah Johnson, executive director of Greater Midland Family Centers.
All Family Centers offers a range of family-oriented programs and services: licensed childcare (ages 6 weeks through kindergarten), preschool, before- and after-school care, youth athletic leagues and a fitness center.
For the Suhr family, it’s the childcare and preschool that make all the difference in their lives.
“When we were pregnant and looking for childcare, we searched out places in Midland and Mt Pleasant. Then we found out about the center and the feeling there was different than all the other places we had visited … we felt very welcome and comfortable right away,” said Kristen Suhr, mother of 3-year-old Mikayla.
Kristen and Jason Suhr own a home near Coleman, a city of less than 1,500 residents halfway between her job at Central Michigan University and Jason’s job at Dow Corning.
Mikayla, their only child, has attended daycare and preschool at the Coleman Family Center since she was 3 months old. The Suhrs appreciate the nurturing and education Mikayla receives, as well as the scheduling flexibility that allows Mikayla’s grandparents the chance to watch her at home some days.
The Coleman Family Center’s certified providers currently serve 90 children in its daycare program, 46 in their 3- and 4-year-old preschool programs, and 15 children in after-school care. Johnson said they often host free, family-focused events that bring the whole community together.
The center also offers adult education classes, an emergency food pantry, and includes services for the Diaper Alliance, Midland County Educational Service Agency (ESA), Mid Michigan Community Action, WIC and Hidden Harvest.
“Our goal is to be the place that the Coleman community wants and needs us to be, always focusing on family and children,” Johnson said.
It’s exactly that small-town, care-for-your-neighbor feel that kept the Suhrs in Coleman when they easily could have moved to Midland.
“They are constantly fostering her cognitive and social development and that’s why we’re happy there … and Mikayla just loves them right back,” Kristen Suhr said.
For more information on our Fall Preschool Program, contact Tiffeny Schrank at TSchrank@greatermidland.org or 989-465-2079
