City leaders snipped the ribbon Wednesday to officially open a new childcare center in the heart of ever-growing North Suffolk.

Kids Kingdom Child Development Center, at 234 Meadow View Blvd., in the Bennett’s Creek Square Professional Park, is described as a Christian-based care provider for children aged six weeks to 12.

Mayor Linda T. Johnson, who clutched the giant scissors with business owner Willie Johnson and Councilman Roger Fawcett, said the city was excited to welcome the new facility.

“You are right where we are growing,” Johnson said. “Certainly, children are at your heart, and that’s what’s so important — the quality of the day care.”

Johnson said the center — licensed for 57 students — will become packed. “You are probably going to be expanding,” she said. “I don’t think there’s anything more important for parents than who takes care of their children.”

The owners, husband and wife Leona and Willie Thompson, also operate a Kids Kingdom location in Virginia Beach. They aim to provide a safe, convenient and nurturing environment with faith, social, cognitive and physical development, embraced.

“Our mission … is to train up a child with respect, honesty, love for others, and to help them become positive members of society,” Willie Thompson said.

“With our expansion to Suffolk we can reach a new group of families to help achieve this purpose.”

Thompson said there were a lot of children in Suffolk needing “care that they know is quality care, and that’s what we are here to provide.”

“We know the city is growing rapidly, and we are here to grow along with the city and be a great help to the city.”

The center offers day care, before and after school, preschool, kindergarten and summer school.

Rooms, grouped according to age, are stocked with books, toys, games and learning tools, such as music and math centers.

Hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Visit the center online at www.kkcdc.com.