MADISON, Wis. (SPECTRUM NEWS) -- This 'Teacher Appreciation Week,' one Madison daycare provider is going above and beyond for essential worker families. 

Academy for Little Learners made the tough decision to re-open during the Wisconnsin's Safer at Home order for a few dozen kids and a handful of staff members.   Director Betsy Erdmann knows between the countless Clorox wipes and the temperature checks, comes a true calling for her teachers: 

"We do this because we love it," Erdmann said. "There are going to be good times and there are going to be tough times and that’s our commitment to working with children," she added.

Teacher Jennifer O'Brien returned to work because she wanted to help struggling essential worker families care for their little ones.

"It’s really important for the kids that they have that normal aspect in their life because they really don’t understand what is going on,"  O'Brien said.   "So it is just making everything is safe for them, without them realizing anything is different,"

O'Brien touches on an important  point the school has limited hours and increased sanitary efforts.  Students no longer take lunch in the community lunchroom, but do everything with their teacher inside the classroom.

For Deborah Pilona, she knows she potentially is putting herself in danger staying with the kids all day as the COVID-19 outbreak  continues, but  she says that doesn't worry her.

"It is a worthy risk, for me, if I get sick,  if I don’t get sick at all,  I don’t want to sit at home all day, and watch from the outside, I want to be here with my children.’ she  said.

Erdmann says many of her teacher tell here there is no other place they would rather be.

"A welcome  reprieve for myself and my teachers too," Erdmann said.  "When we can focus on the kids and have fun with them and forget about the stresses outside of here," she added.