Pateros non-profit forms to provide early childhood education

PATEROS – A new non-profit group dedicated to continued availability of early childhood education has launched a campaign to purchase and renovate the Church of Christ building with help of grant funds from the Department of Commerce.

The Pateros Treehouse Early Education Organization (PTEEO) incorporated last Oct. 8 and has been approved as a 501(c)3 non-profit. On Dec. 2 the group applied for grant funding through the DOC. A licensor from the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF) inspected the building. PTEEO hopes to be approved for 52 childcare openings for ages 0-12. Word of the DOC grant approval is expected near the end of January 2020.

The new facility will take up where the current ABC Preschool & Daycare started by Carlene Anders and Gene Dowers in September 1977. After two decades caring for children the husband-wife team announced that they will be closing their facility in May 2020.

“It is hard to think of actually pulling the trigger . . . we have spent two decades with families coming in and out of our home M-F 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.,” said Anders. “It has been an honor and a privilege to have so many wonderful young parents allow us to help raise their children”.

With childcare in such high demand Anders devoted the past two years assembling a plan to form a non-profit board that can assume the next phase of Pateros-based childcare. PTEEO board members include:

Kailee Tanneberg, President: Financial Accountant at Gebbers Farms; Gene Dowers, VP, Executive Director of the Pateros-Brewster Resource Center;  Lindsay Vallance, Treas., Office Manager and Legal Assistant of Valor Law; Kayla Johanson, Sec., School Psychologist at Brewster School District; Betty Hagenbuch, Retired teacher of 50 years; Michael Harding, Pateros Church of Christ; Grace Larsen ARNP, Family Nurse Practitioner with Confluence Health; Clara Oborne, 3rd Grade Teach at Pateros School District; and Courtney Reynolds, K-5 Special Ducat5ion Teacher for Brewster Elementary School.

“We are looking forward to the opening of the Treehouse,” said PTEEO president Tanneberg. “It will be a tremendous addition to the surrounding communities. We anticipate serving a great number of children and filling a huge need in the area.” 

The PTEEO is hoping for community support through donated funds, expertise/labor and material donations. The Treehouse Early Education Center will be taking registration applications in March and hope to open in June 2020. For more information visit the PTEEO website at paterostreehouse.com.