In the photo: Brian Serbus, South Point Financial Credit Union; owners Matt and Samantha Perala; City Council member Dave Christian; Jan Deleo, Sid’s Sign’s on Broadway; Ben Schoo, New Ulm Surface.

NEW ULM — The Willkommen Committee of the New Ulm Area Chamber of Commerce celebrated the opening of Stay & Play Child Care, 114 N. State, with a ribbon cutting.

Owner Samantha Perala previously offered Stay & Play Child Care at her home, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

After 10 years of in-home care, she and husband Matt thought it was time for a bigger space and time to take their house back. In 2017, they started looking for spaces. Many roadblocks came up along the way but Samantha never gave up. Her family stood behind her concept and idea; it became everyone’s mission to open. Now in the former Lifetouch building, Samantha opened the doors Aug. 3 and has 55 enrolled children, with a capacity in the space to hold 64 children and 12 teachers.

Stay & Play Child Care’s current hours are 5:30 a.m – 11:30 p.m. This works for t New Ulm which has many factories and families who work swing or rotating shifts. Another bonus for families with school-age children that any child doing distant learning can do their learning with their Chromebook at the center.