Community Highlights: Meet Cassie Hochstetler of Itsy Bitsy Daycare

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassie Hochstetler.

Hi Cassie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I’ve worked as a toddler teacher for 2 decades. I was in an accident that left me unable to lift children all day due to restrictions. My husband, Gideon, had offered many times to help me start my own daycare but I never thought of myself as an owner but a teacher. After several years of missing being around kids, I started considering the idea. I wanted in a church building. A building that has been prayed in, taught in, loved in. One day after my husbands truck broken down I went to pick up him up and a realtor was putting a fat sale sign up on this church. We were in contract that night. It’s been 6 amazing years. We’ve been through covid, new business complications but have overcome so much in these past 6 years! God is faithful! I have staff that have been with me since year one. We’re more than coworkers, we’re family! We get to love our job and say our job loves us back-quite literally!

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One struggle-we were approved the day Ohio shut down daycares over COVID. We were able to transfer our license into a pandemic license and still open as schedule.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We are a faith-based daycare providing care to kids 6 weeks to age 12 years old. We teach from two curriculums; creative given by state and Abeka to supplement for faith based. We are always over staffed as I believe in many hands make light work. All my staff bring a unique and loving touch to our environment that enriched all the lives of the kids entrusted to our care. We’ve also been given the Silver rating in childcare from DCY. We were nominated and won the Children’s Hunger Alliance 2023 Daycare Center of the Year. We’ve also been recognized by our Ohio House of Representatives and Ohio Senate.

How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I’m always looking for opportunities to bring in community services such as the local library, pastors, humane society, musicians, emergency care workers, public schools, etc. awere easily reached through our website itsybitsydaycareohio.com or just a call.

Pricing:

• Age based and given by our district. We are silver rated!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Itsybitsydaycareohio.com
• Facebook: Itsy Bitsy Daycare Lancaster Ohio