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EXETER &mdash; The Growing Patch Early Learning Center may still need the state&rsquo;s official stamp of approval before it can officially open its doors to local children, but owner Sarah Benczkowski couldn&rsquo;t wait to begin helping the community.
				A ribbon-cutting marked the business&rsquo;s unofficial opening on Saturday afternoon, with an open house and a supply drive coming right after as local families checked out the location and donated supplies to Luzerne County Children and Youth.
				&ldquo;We&rsquo;re ready for business. We just need the state to come down and check the place out,&rdquo; Benczkowski said. &ldquo;Once we get the go-ahead, we&rsquo;d be able to open the very next day.&rdquo;
				The Growing Patch is located right along Tunkhannock Avenue in Exeter, where the former When I Grow Up Daycare used to be.
				Benczkowski, a Plains Township native now living in Swoyersville, has had her heart set on early learning for as long as she could remember.
				&ldquo;This is what I&rsquo;ve always wanted to do,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m so excited.&rdquo;
				Benczkowski&rsquo;s got plenty of experience, teaching in the Luzerne County Head Start program and doing some substitute work in the Wilkes-Barre Area school district.
				The Growing Patch will welcome children from toddlers to school-age, with plenty of different activities and programs to keep everything running smoothly.
				All throughout the building for the open house, blue tape was set up to keep attendees from touching things, in the attempt to mitigate any possible spread of bacteria in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
				&ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to do everything possible to keep the kids safe,&rdquo; Benczkowski said. &ldquo;This level of daycare is more important now than ever.&rdquo;
				Parents and students alike roamed the halls of the building, checking out all the different rooms and stopping to drop off school supplies and hygiene items.
				&ldquo;We want to be very involved in the community and that starts today,&rdquo; Benczkowski said.
				There are already 25 students signed up and enrolled at The Growing Patch. There&rsquo;s no word, according to Benczkowski, on when the state will get around to clearing them to begin operations.
				&ldquo;We&rsquo;ve been harassing them for a while about it,&rdquo; Benczkowski joked. &ldquo;I just can&rsquo;t wait to get started.&rdquo;

Growing Patch Early Learning Center ribbon-cutting aids C&Y