In celebration of Child Care Provider Appreciation Day on May 9, the Journal is spotlighting three Britton daycare providers who help shape the community’s youngest minds. Karen Roehr of Karen’s Daycare has been caring for children for 40 years and still brings joy and music to her preschool and daycare. Karen and helper Judy Pfitzer are pictured above as ghosts the Trunk or Treat, and the daycare and preschool are bottom middle and top right. Jesse Bolzer of Jesse’s House has run her in-home daycare since 2008, offering warmth and structure for growing families. And Heidi Eimers, who opened her daycare 11 years ago, is known for her calm presence and the loving relationships she builds with the kids in her care.
Karen’s Day Care
Few have been doing it as long — or with as much heart — as Karen Roehr.
A familiar face in town, Roehr has operated her daycare and preschool in Britton for 40 years and is still going strong. Her passion for working with kids goes back to childhood. “When my nephew Darin was born, I loved babysitting him — it really lit a spark,” she said. From junior high on, her school assignments often mentioned her dream of working with children, a goal she pursued by studying Child Development at Lake Area Tech.
After moving back to Britton in 1984, Roehr partnered with Cindy Zuehlke to start a daycare that also included preschool. When they eventually opened their own separate programs, Roehr began operating out of her grandmother’s house. Preschool classes were held in the basement, and though space was tight, she recalls it fondly. “When it was music time, both the preschoolers and daycare kids would join together and sing,” she said.
Eventually, Roehr moved her daycare across the road to a larger home, but the sense of fun and purpose remains....
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