Parents now have a new option for childcare in Washington, and it comes with a leader with 35 years of experience.

Start Right Learning Center opened its doors Tuesday, serving children of all ages, from infancy to 12 years old.

Gail Leggett, who has decades of childcare and teaching experience, is at the helm, fulfilling her lifelong dream of opening her own center. She’s always had the mindset of a leader, and a strong sense of right and wrong, too.

“I’m the one that follows the rules. When you’re not the owner and someone is telling you to do something, and you don’t agree with it, I just wouldn’t do it,” she said. “That’s always been my philosophy, you know, to do things right.”

That philosophy was the idea behind the center’s name — starting the children off on a good path and doing it the right way.

Leggett said she has classrooms set up for each development stage: infants; 1-year-olds; 2-year-olds; 3-year-olds; 4- to 5-years-old, before kindergarten; and afterschool care for 5- to 12-year-olds. As of Wednesday, she had 10 children at the center, but said she is expecting many more in the coming weeks.

“Consistent care is good care,” she said. “I’ve always believed in positive and nurturing educational atmospheres. … We get children from all types of backgrounds, but when they’re in our care, we want to provide them with the best.”

After the death of her first husband, Leggett said she devoted her life to her daughter, choosing not to remarry for 19 years. Being a single mother for so long helps her to connect to clients today, especially as families are less likely now to have a traditional family unit, she said.

“You know, I know how the world has changed. Thirty-five years ago … a lot of families were mamas and daddies,” Leggett said. “You see a lot more of the single moms.”

“I can understand where they’re coming from,” she added.

Now living outside of Greenville with husband Robert, she said it was the right time to take the lead, drawing on her experiences and creating the environment she feels is best for children.

“I’ve just done it for so long and I just, by the grace of God, had an opportunity to open up with my husband’s help,” Leggett said. “This is my dream, and he supports me 100 percent.”

Although she has one teacher for every classroom, Leggett said she is looking to hire more qualified teachers as the numbers increase.

“What you provide for them has to be an educational atmosphere,” she said. “We want to build minds right from the start.”

Start Right Learning Center is located at 940 Hudnell St. in Washington. For questions or to register a child, call 252-940-0077.