Tuesday, September 1, 2026 / Cottage Grove
Cottage Grove's child-care desert gets a first day of school
Tip Tap Grow's co-owner says the new center has opened to children at 216 S. 3rd St.; its official page lists infant-through-Pre-K care, weekday full-day options and tour contacts.
A Cottage Grove building prepared for children months ago finally sounds like a school. Tip Tap Grow co-owner Drea Smith wrote in a fresh public update that it was the center's first day, after a spring ribbon-cutting and a longer wait for staff and final opening work.
The provider's current page lists care from six weeks through age 6 at 216 S. 3rd St., with weekday full-day options, infant, toddler, preschool and Pre-K programs, and contact links for tours. Smith's public update also says the center accepts Employment Related Day Care, Oregon's child-care subsidy program.
The Chronicle reported in April that the three classrooms were designed for 35 children in all, but the current provider page does not say how many spaces are open now. Families should ask about age-group space, schedule and ERDC details rather than treating an enrollment inquiry as a confirmed placement.
Field notes
What changed: The Cottage Grove center has begun serving children after its spring ribbon-cutting and delayed opening process.
Why it matters: The location adds weekday infant-through-Pre-K care in a community local leaders have described as a child-care desert.
Who may be affected: South Lane families looking for licensed child care, including families who use ERDC.