About Us

History

Whistle Stop started in August, 1989 as a before-and after-school day care for kindergarten students. Working from the basement of its founder, Bonnie Laackman, Whistle Stop grew and eventually moved to its current campus to become the accredited child development center and preschool that it is today.
In 1992, Mark and Nancy Schaefer took ownership of Whistle Stop and have been at the helm for the last 27 years.
From the beginning Whistle Stop always made being outdoors a priority and valued the importance of children’s creative exploration. In 1992 Whistle Stop adopted the High Scope Curriculum that is still being utilized today.

Our Campus

Whistle Stop is a unique child care center located on the beautiful grounds of the Grand Rapids Dominicans. We offer a beautiful wooded setting with sledding hills in the winter, meadows for picnics, and extensive playgrounds with room to run. Our relationship with the Grand Rapids Dominicans is a unique one which benefits both the children who attend and the residents of the grounds.

We make an effort to take full advantage of the properties beauty and all that nature can teach by getting the children outside as much as possible in all seasons. We also reinforce the importance of community by having the children interact with the residents in a number of ways. We organize story times, musical programs and crafting projects that offer a sense of joy and connection to the children and the residents as well. This relationship between young and old is cherished by both parties and makes Whistle Stop a stand out facility in the Grand Rapids area.

Learn More