For Kid’s Sake Early Learning Center recently opened a second location in Dexter Township.

Julie Henes-Picano, the businesses’ owner, has a long history with the Dexter-Pinckney Road location because she used to work in the daycare business as the director of a program in the converted house from 2000-2004.

In 2005, she opened her first For Kid's Sake Early Learning Center in Pinckney, and early this month she opened her Dexter location with plans to expand her business into several other Western Washtenaw locations.

“It’s exciting,” she said of opening a second location with about 10 children. She hopes to grow that number to 30.

With her Pinckney location at the maximum number of children, she thought it was time to expand to a nearby market in Dexter Township at 7415 Dexter-Pinckney Road.

For Kid's Sake follows state accreditation standards, Henes-Picano said.

“We pride ourselves on lower (student-teacher) ratios than the state,” she says, sticking to 6-1 or 8-1 child-to-teacher ratios.

The state allows a 12-1 ratio with four-year-old children and 10-1 with three-year-old children, she said.

In fact, her children are a part of the program. She has five, the youngest is 3 ½ and the oldest 17 years old.

“I grew up in Dexter,” Henes-Picano said, but now lives in Livingston County, just outside Pinckney.

For Kid's Sake offers infant and toddler programs for children 0-2 ½ years, preschool programs for children 2 ½-5 years and there’s also a school age summer camp program.

She employs nine teachers during the school year and 13-14 teachers during the summer. There is also a nurse on staff.

Both locations are licensed for 42 children at one time, but Henes-Picano said she keeps that number to about 30 children a day.

The doors open at 6:15 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. but she offers extended hours until 8 p.m. by appointment.

“We offer totally individual schedules depending on the family situation,” she said.

Henes-Picano said she keeps her prices competitive with other daycare facilities. The fee is $185 for fulltime care for preschool age children for a week and $220 for full-time care for infants and toddlers for a week. There are also daily packages available.

Lisa Allmendinger is a freelance writer for AnnArbor.com. She can be reached at lallmendinger@sbcglobal.net.