Preschool & Child Care Center Serving South Bend, IN

Founded in 1988, East Bank Daycare was a warm, welcoming place for children whose parents primarily worked at the nearby Madison Center and Hospital. Leslie Kleppe became the Director in 2006 and immediately led the center onto a path towards accreditation with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) by improving operations, increasing enrollment, and setting higher standards for care and academics.

Leslie believed strongly in providing honest, comprehensive, authentic care for all little learners in a place where “every child has a voice.” East Bank Daycare became East Bank Learning Center in 2008 to reinforce this philosophy and celebrate accreditation from NAEYC. In 2010, Leslie assumed ownership of the center and continued to pursue her mission every day until her passing in 2016. In 2017, Mellody Buzalski became the Director of East Bank Learning Center, bringing over 20 years of experience in Early Childhood Education and a desire to build upon Leslie’s legacy of excellence.

Today, Mellody and the Leadership Team remain committed to your family and the early education community. Mellody has undergone extensive training from the Quality Leadership Institute, HighScope©️ and Conscious Discipline®️ curricula, and is a passionate advocate for excellence and continuous improvement. She has served as a school advisory board member and is the president of the Northern Region Chapter of the Indiana AEYC.

Mellody assumed ownership in April 2021 and is fully dedicated to holding the center to its NAEYC accreditation standards and its status as the first facility in Indiana to earn a Level 4 Paths to Quality rating. As Executive Director, Mellody and the EastBank Leadership Team will continue to build the mission of authentic, high-quality care for local families for many years to come and to maintain a place that provides a “childhood like no other…”