About Helping Hands child care · Detroit
Helping Hands Child Care & Development Center is a privately owned, Michigan-state-licensed early childhood education center located at 22701 Plymouth Road in Detroit (48239). Founded in 2008 by owner Mrs. Erica, the center provides full-day infant, toddler, preschool, and school-age care guided by the philosophy of "Building Foundations Children Can Stand On." The center serves working parents in the Detroit/Redford area with structured academics, social-emotional learning, latchkey before- and after-school care, transportation, and homework support.
Helping Hands Child Care & Development Center LLC has been providing early childhood education in Detroit, Michigan since 2008, when it was established to meet a community need for a cultivating, safe, loving, nurturing, and structured learning environment. Operated by owner Mrs. Erica and her staff, the center is guided by a stated mission to "reach each and every child individually" and to build a partnership between parents and staff so that every child can succeed. Its stated philosophy — "Building Foundations Children Can Stand On" — frames every program around academics, social skills, values, and intellect in equal measure. The center is licensed by the State of Michigan (License # DC820361768) with a licensed capacity of 22 children and offers Full Day Program care for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age children. Programs include infant care, a Pre-Kindergarten readiness curriculum, "Latchkey" before- and after-school care, age-appropriate homework support, and transportation via school-bus/Uber service to extend learning beyond the classroom. The teaching approach is described as project-based learning reflecting "best practices in 21st-century education" and fostering the whole child. Helping Hands has operated continuously under Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs oversight, with documented licensing studies, renewal inspections, and a most recent license renewal dated February 2, 2023. Family reviews spanning nearly a decade frequently credit the center with helping children develop speech, social skills, and the academic foundation to enter elementary school as honor students and standardized-test high scorers. The center also serves families needing flexible before- and after-school care and reliable transportation to and from its Plymouth Road facility.
- In business
- Founded 2008 (approximately 17 years in operation)
- Owner
- Mrs. Erica (Owner)
- Serves
- Detroit, Michigan (48239) and surrounding Redford/near-west Detroit neighborhoods
- Rating
- Mixed reviews on Google/local directories — multiple 5-star reviews from long-term families (Ashley Williams, Shauni Hankins, Latrice Phillip, Kellie Perkins, Darnell Yelder, Paul) alongside a few 1-star reviews; aggregate social popularity score 7.1/10 on HeyCompanies (1 review indexed).
About Helping Hands Child Care & Development Center
Helping Hands Child Care & Development Center was established in 2008 to meet the need for early childhood education in a cultivating, safe, loving, nurturing, and structured learning environment. The center is owned and directed by Mrs. Erica and operates under the philosophy "Building Foundations Children Can Stand On." Its mission is to reach each and every child individually by partnering with parents and staff so that every child can succeed, and its aspiration is to produce well-rounded young achievers ready for the next stage of school and life. The center is a privately owned Michigan-licensed child care center located at 22701 Plymouth Road in Detroit (48239).
- Founded 2008
- Owner: Mrs. Erica
- Philosophy: "Building Foundations Children Can Stand On"
- Mission: reach each child individually and partner with parents
- Privately owned, Michigan-state licensed
Mission, Vision & Philosophy
Helping Hands articulates a clear mission, vision, and philosophy on its About page. The mission is to reach each child individually and to build a parent–staff partnership that helps every child succeed. The vision is to provide a mind-stimulating learning environment where children become academically strong, respectful of others, and over-achievers through teaching methods pursued in cooperation with parents and staff who strive for excellence. The center describes itself as offering project-based learning that reflects best practices in 21st-century education and that fosters the whole child — not only academic knowledge but social, emotional, and intellectual growth.
- Mission: "reach each and every child individually"
- Vision: mind-stimulating, academically strong, respectful learners
- Aspiration: well-rounded young achievers
- Project-based learning reflecting 21st-century best practices
Programs Offered
The center organizes its program offerings around the age and schedule of each child. Infant care emphasizes responsive caregiving in a safe, stimulating space; Pre-Kindergarten readiness prepares children for the academic and social demands of kindergarten and beyond; Latchkey before- and after-school care extends the learning day; homework support reinforces classroom concepts at home with age-appropriate activities; and transportation via school-bus/Uber service extends the program beyond the building. Together these programs support full-day care for working families.
- Infants — responsive care in a safe, stimulating environment
- Pre-Kindergarten Ready — skills for kindergarten and beyond
- Latchkey Before & After Care — seamless transition across the school day
- Homework — age-appropriate reinforcement of classroom concepts
- Transportation / School Bus Uber — to and from the preschool
Safety, Health & Sanitation Practices
Helping Hands publishes an extensive set of safety and wellness protocols. Everyone entering the building must wear a face mask, wash hands thoroughly for 20 seconds, change from outdoor to indoor shoes, and pass a daily temperature check. The building is a "shoe-free zone" once inside. Parents and staff are asked not to come to the center if they or their child is exhibiting symptoms of any spreadable disease (flu, COVID-19, RSV, Hand Foot & Mouth disease, common cold, etc.). The center reserves the right to deny admittance to obviously ill children and to require negative PCR tests after specified absences.
- Required face mask before entry
- 20-second hand washing on entry
- Outdoor-to-indoor shoe change
- Daily temperature checks
- No admittance after 9:00 a.m.
- 48-hour symptom-free rule before return after illness
- Medication policy: prescription only — no over-the-counter medications administered
Health & Illness Policy
The center maintains a strict wellness policy aligned with Michigan Child Care Licensing and the City of Detroit Health Department. Children must be symptom-free for 48 hours without fever-reducing medication before returning, and certain contagious illnesses (Hand Foot & Mouth, COVID-19, etc.) require a 14-day quarantine with a negative PCR test. A printed stamped medical note from a physician is required for any child who had a contagious illness prior to return, and a medical clearance note is required following any serious injury or surgical procedure.
- Exclusion temperature threshold: 99.9°F or greater
- Contagious conditions: HFM, COVID-19, Pink Eye, Chicken Pox, Measles, Rubella, Mumps
- 14-day quarantine for HFM and COVID-19 with negative PCR
- Medical note required after contagious illness, injury, or surgery
Policies: Enrollment, Tuition & Non-Discrimination
Helping Hands is a privately owned center. Tuition is determined by the age of the child, with payment in full expected on or before Friday at 5:30 p.m. for the upcoming week; late fees apply after that deadline and increase after Monday evening. Enrollment begins with a scheduled tour that must include the prospective student; tours include facility walk-through, discussion of core values, and review of enrollment, tuition, registration, and any waiting list. The center's published non-discrimination policy explicitly protects against discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status.
- Tour appointments required (parent + student)
- Tuition based on age of child
- Weekly payment due Friday by 5:30 p.m.
- Late fees after Friday 5:30 p.m., increased after Monday
- Non-discrimination policy covering religion, race, gender, disability, and more
Licensing & Inspection History
Helping Hands Child Care & Development Center LLC is licensed by the State of Michigan under License Number DC820361768 with a licensed capacity of 22 children. It is classified as a Full Day Program providing infant/toddler, preschool, and school-age care, and is not enrolled in the subsidized child care program. Public records show an original licensing study completed 12/09/2014, with subsequent renewal inspections and reports dated 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, plus the most recent renewal dated 02/02/2023.
- License #DC820361768
- Capacity: 22
- Current License Issue Date: 2021-05-12
- Most recent renewal: 02/02/2023
- Original licensing study: 12/09/2014
Hours, Location & Contact
The center operates Monday through Friday from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and is closed Saturday and Sunday. It is located at 22701 Plymouth Road, Detroit, MI 48239. Families can reach the center by phone at (313) 387-9455 to schedule a tour or inquire about enrollment, and the official website hosts a contact form, Facebook link, Instagram link, and Gmail contact channel.
- Address: 22701 Plymouth Rd, Detroit, MI 48239
- Phone: (313) 387-9455
- Hours: Monday–Friday, 6:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.
- Website contact form available
- Facebook and Instagram presence
What Families Say
Public family reviews over many years describe Helping Hands as a long-term partner in children's early development. Long-term families (some enrolled since 2015) credit the center with helping their children become honor students, achieve top scores on the NWEA math standardized test, and gain admission to honors summer programs. Parents of children with speech delays report that Ms. Erica and her staff worked directly with their child and that the child was speaking by kindergarten. Reviews also consistently mention healthy meals, vegetables from the center's own garden, daily learning activities, and instruction in discipline and good manners. A small number of prospective-parent reviews report less positive first-impressions during phone inquiries or tour scheduling.
- Multiple 5-star family reviews dating back several years
- Reported success in speech delay support
- Reported NWEA math high scores and honors-program placements
- Healthy meals including garden-grown vegetables
- Focus on discipline, manners, and daily learning activities