A NEW child care centre will open in Armidale at the end of July.
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TG's owners Gayle and Trevor Kee have spent the past six weeks transforming the former Tiny Towns Childcare centre in Kirkwood Street into a new centre.
When complete, TG's in Kirkwood Street will cater for 66 tots aged from birth to five years.
It's the first time in 30 years the site has been renovated and the Kees have big plans for the new TG's.
"We're building gardens with play spaces that will engage the child's imagination and encourage creative play," Mr Kee, a landscape designer, said.
Ms Kee is an early childhood teacher who is overseeing internal renovations.
"We are building four classrooms for different age groups," Ms Kee said.
"The spaces will be inclusive play and enquiry-based learning environments that promote competence, independence and exploration."
There will also be a kitchen with cook to provide meals, staff room and training/programming room.
The Kees started TG's Child Care more than 22 years ago.
"We had a vision to create a nature-based early childhood environment," Ms Kee said.
In 2008, they opened their first centre in the Northern Tablelands in Uralla with a small, 28-place premises.
Then in 2010, the Kees bought and renovated an existing service in Armidale to open TG's Child Care Centre in Samuelson Crescent.
The centre caters for 75 children from birth to five years.
They now own centres in Armidale, Uralla, Wauchope and Hervey Bay in Queensland.
"Our mission statement at TG's is to create, develop and encourage independent young minds that embrace collective thinking with their peers," Ms Kee said.
Earlier this year the Kees seized the opportunity to buy the former child care centre Tiny Towns, in Kirkwood.
"It was a real fixer upper," Mr Kee said.
"Over the past few months we've had tradies completely renovating the inside of the building, a complete refurbishment of the whole site, from new flooring, new roof, new cabinetry, painting inside and out and plumbing, electrical work and a new solar system.
"I am now focusing on the outdoor spaces."
TG's in Kirkwood Street is scheduled to open in late July and employ 35 staff.
They need experienced, qualified, early childhood educators.
"Hopefully, this new centre will alleviate the need for long daycare for families in the area," Ms Kee said.
