Growing Room Child Development Centers

The seed of Growing Room sprouted deep in the heart of pediatric nurse Sheree Mitchell. As a working mother, she was frustrated with the lack of quality child care available for her son; she believed all children deserved more than just basic daycare. In her mind, the ideal learning environment would be colorful, welcoming, and spark a child’s imagination as soon as they entered. The school would be secure, so parents wouldn’t worry about their child’s safety. There would be good health practices in place to minimize exposure to illness and all children would be treated with dignity and respect. The school would offer a developmentally appropriate curriculum for all ages, beginning with infants, and would instill strong character traits and good citizenship. In short, it would give them a foundation for a lifelong love of learning that would lead to success in life.

Holding fast to her dream of creating this education-focused setting for preschoolers, Sheree, and her husband opened their first Growing Room in 1989. Families quickly responded and soon she was hearing stories of their children’s success. Teachers told her they could tell the difference with Growing Room children – they were well prepared for Kindergarten! Little did Sheree know that the success of these children and their families would also lead to Sheree being named Georgia Small Business Person of the Year, and later U.S. Small Business Person of the Year.

With those awards, a new seed was planted – Growing Room Franchise System, Inc, which Sheree and her team launched in 2007. Growing Room has continued to grow and today it is run by Sheree's son and daughter-in-law, Brad and Brittany Haines. Brad and Brittany believe in those same values that Sheree instilled in the company so many years ago. They have continued to create an environment that instills a lifelong love of learning in children. There are now 11 Growing Room childcare centers in four states, and growing!

At Growing Room, we believe in developing a strong partnership with parents to give their children the best care possible. Open communication and respect are key in these relationships. We encourage parents to visit at any time and frequently offer special events to include them. Some examples are Mother’s Day and Father’s Day breakfasts, Thanksgiving Class Lunches, and Diaper Derbies. We also honor extended relatives on Grandparent’s Day and offer opportunities for family members to visit and read to the children.

Growing Room offers education and care to children six weeks old to four years old. We offer before and after school care to children up to 12 years old. We also offer a summer camp program for children up to 12 years old. Between our three locations in Columbus, GA, we have five Georgia Pre-K classes and one Summer Transition Program to prepare rising Kindergarteners for big school. At Growing Room, we Learn, Live, and Love the Growing Room Way!