Social Tykes to offer coworking and childcare in Corktown

As a working mother of two, including a 7-month-old, Raven Fisher would find herself going to an appointment, wanting to hit the gym, or even looking forward to date night but the lack of “drop-in care” would throw a wrench into her plans.

And she also saw there was no place to go where parents could “open up their laptop while watching their child at play,” she says. At coworking spaces, there are tables but not really an inviting space to combine parenthood and professional life, she adds.

“I saw a gap with my oldest son,” says Fisher. “The majority of my friends were out of state, and I needed a support system nearby, that understood the trials and tribulations of entering my new normal (motherhood). It was important to me that I build a community for me and my kids, a space to build lasting relationships.”

This July, Fisher is opening Social Tykes, a coworking/play space at The Corner in Corktown. The 1,700-square-foot space will offer open playtime for a daily or monthly fee for children ages 0-6. It also has coworking-style seating for parents, classes for parents, and kids and a two- to five-hour drop-in care program.

Fisher experienced postpartum depression when entering motherhood “not knowing what to expect or who to turn to. Most of her friends lived out of state and even though she combed through parenting blogs and tried different apps, “no one truly understood what I was going through.”

Memberships range from $170 for one child to $220 for two kids and include unlimited play and access to biweekly parental conversations. Social Tykes will also have drop-off rates of $40 per hour. Open play sessions cost $20 and $10 for each additional sibling.

While the kids play, parents can get work done at desks as well as take movement classes focusing on healthy lifestyle topics as well as CPR, first aid, and postpartum coping.

The Macomb County resident says she was drawn to open Social Tykes in Corktown because she was seeing a lot of families spending time in the neighborhood as well as the booming development and restaurants and shops where her target customers can be found.

“Corktown seemed like the right fit,” she says. “The community is so close-knit. That’s really the environment I was to surround myself in.”