A family-run home for little ones.
Three centers across New Boston and Portsmouth, Ohio — built around the simple belief that children grow best when they're known, respected, and loved. We're not a franchise. We're not a chain. We're a small, family-owned business that has been part of this community for years.
How Roots began.
It started with Village Roots — one small center, a few dedicated teachers, and the conviction that quality child care should feel like a second home. From the beginning, the idea was simple: small group sizes, lower ratios, and the kind of attention to each child you can only give when you actually know them.
That first center filled fast. Families kept asking for spots, and the youngest siblings of our preschoolers needed a place too. So we opened Baby Roots — a quiet, separate space designed entirely for infants and young toddlers, with the slower pace and lap time that age needs.
Then we opened Roots Child Care Center in Portsmouth — our third location, a full-range center that welcomes children from 8 weeks through school age. Three centers, two communities, one family of teachers and the children we're lucky to know.
Misty Luther
Misty has been working in early childhood care for years. She opened Village Roots with a clear vision: care built on real relationships between teachers, children, and families — not assembly-line drop-off.
Today, with three centers and a team of teachers she's chosen carefully and supported in continuing their education, that vision is bigger but the heart is the same. Every child at Roots is known by name, by personality, and by what they need on any given day.
"Children are capable and willing to learn. They learn through active participation within an environment created of people and materials."
What we believe about children.
A few principles guide every choice we make — from how rooms are arranged, to how teachers speak to children, to what kind of day a child has at Roots.
Every child is capable.
Children are not blank slates waiting to be filled. They're already curious, already trying things, already figuring out the world. Our job is to set up environments where that natural learning has room to happen.
Play is the work.
Through play, children practice everything — language, problem-solving, friendship, regulation, motor skills. We don't replace play with worksheets. We design days where play does the teaching.
Relationships come first.
A child who feels safe and known can learn anything. Teachers who know each child as a person — their quirks, their interests, their hard days — are the foundation. Everything else is built on that.
Why parents trust us with their littlest ones.
It's not just a feeling — it's recognized, licensed, and verified. Here's what stands behind the day-to-day care.
Gold Star Center
All three centers hold Ohio's highest quality tier under the Step Up to Quality rating system.
State Licensed
Fully licensed by the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY) with regular inspections.
Vetted Teachers
Every staff member is background-checked, CPR-certified, and supported with ongoing training.
Subsidy Accepted
We participate in Ohio's publicly funded child care program (DCY) for eligible families.
The best way to know if we're right for your child is to stop by.
Schedule a tour, meet the teachers, walk through the rooms, and bring your little one along. We'll keep it short, honest, and pressure-free.