How it all began…
Bridgett VanDerhoff and her deceased husband, Doug (1951 – 2007), opened their first AppleTree location in Grand Rapids, MI on Monroe Avenue in 1998 with the dream of creating a premier child care and early education center that would provide a safe, nurturing environment for their infant daughter, Anna, to grow, learn, and thrive. When it opened in 1998, it was the first child care business in Michigan to install a secure internet camera system, AppleCam, which allows enrolled parents to “visit” their child anytime from work via computer or mobile device.
Children ages 6 weeks to 10 years old can grow, learn, and thrive socially, academically, and emotionally. Age-appropriate curriculum and programming allow each child to master learning objectives at their own pace while preparing for Kindergarten and future life success. Rigorous quality standards are evaluated quarterly in programming, curriculum, staffing, and building and child care safety.
As a result of her passion for protecting and educating children, VanDerhoff decided to build additional schools in West Michigan based on the success of her experience with opening the Monroe location – which is still serving the community today. There are currently 13 AppleTree locations throughout West Michigan. In 2011, a corporate partnership team was created to manage operations, owner relations, marketing, curriculum, training and quality. With AppleTree as its foundation, the Gilden Woods brand was established in 2012, in order to continue growth in communities outside of Michigan.
Currently there are 24 schools operating throughout Michigan. Locations include Grand Rapids, Holland, Ludington, Kalamazoo, Lansing and the Metro Detroit area. The Gilden Woods brand, along with AppleTree, has allowed for continued growth into new communities and serve new families who need quality childcare and early education.
“Our enrolled families put their trust in us and we are honored to have the privilege of caring for and educating their children,” states AppleTree and Gilden Woods Founder and CEO, Bridgett Tubbs-Carlon. “We have sparked the curiosity and inspired a love of learning in over 20,000 children in the communities we serve. The children we cared for 20 years ago are now bringing their own infants to Gilden Woods and AppleTree and some are even working for us as they raise their families.”
AppleTree & Gilden Woods Timeline
February 1998
July 2002
Rockford
July 2002
August 2005
Otsego
July 2006
Kentwood
July 2006
June 2007
Walker West
May 2009
East Lansing
May 2009
August 2009
Hudsonville
July 2010
Grandville
July 2010
July 2010
Breton Village
July 2012
Cascade
July 2012
September 2012
Knapp Corner
August 2013
Standale
August 2013
February 2014
Holland
August 2014
Portage
August 2014
October 2014
Walker East
January 2015
Kalamazoo
January 2015
June 2015
Haslett
November 2015
Okemos
November 2015
July 2016
New Hudson
March 2017
Howell
March 2017
September 2017
Grand Ledge
December 2017
Caledonia
December 2017
AppleTree & Gilden Woods is committed to providing high quality early care and preschool to our Corporate Partners. We pride ourselves on partnering with employers that are woven into the fabric of the community surrounding our schools. These partners recommend our quality services to their employees and, for that, we reward their working parents with exclusive offers and tuition rate discounts.
Thank you to the following employers for recognizing AppleTree & Gilden Woods Early Care and Preschool as a premier child care and preschool provider.
Corporate Partnerships
School Level Discounts