Smiles, giggles, squeals, and even tears; A Kid’s Place turns twenty
This Saturday is a big anniversary in Huntingburg. A community foundation is celebrating twenty years of smiles, giggles, squeals, and even tears. Its product? Kids. Its name? A Kid’s Place.
Over twenty years ago, in response to a study conducted by the Huntingburg Chamber of Commerce and St. Joseph’s Hospital that showed daycare was a major concern for the growing community, a group of citizens took action to open a quality, affordable childcare facility. They formed a board of directors, made phone calls, and knocked doors trying to figure how to make that need a reality.
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“We didn’t have anyone to learn from,” said Kathy Haller, one of the original board members and founders of A Kids Place. “We really had to figure things out as we went. Several of us went to visit other daycare centers and we even looked at a model in Indianapolis that was a franchise, but they were not interested in a not-for-profit relationship.”
After a few meetings with community members, parents, principles, and business owners, Community Daycare Incorporated was born. The group met with Jerry Fuhs, a French Lick business owner who recognized the need for the facility. He offered to build the building for the daycare and lease it to them with an option to buy. With a Lilly Endowment matching grant through the Huntingburg Foundation construction began and within four years A Kid’s Place was able to open their doors.
Kids filled the daycare from the start but A Kid’s Place struggled financially. They were able to procure a Community Focus Group Grant through the city. Then the Board of Directors approached Dubois County Head Start to co-op with them. Head Start is a program designed to promote school readiness by enhancing the social and cognitive development of children. Working with Head Start, A Kid’s Place was able to expand the building and increase the number of low income children that could take advantage of quality daycare.
A Kid’s Place has continued to serve the community and is still expanding to meet the growing needs of Dubois County. Andrea Tooley, Director of A Kid’s Place, joined the team a year ago and she, along with the board of directors, has been overseeing some big changes at the daycare.
These changes have been brought on by the economy and the need in the community. For example school age kids used to be the bulk of their customers but new school programs have created less demand for school age care.
At the same time demand for infant care has risen and A Kid’s Place has responded by expanding those services. A room that was originally used for school age kids has now been turned into an infant room. “With some recent updates, this room can now accommodate up to 8 infants,” Tooley reports with a smile.
With infants come toddlers, so the old infant room is now a newly refurbished toddler room. Today it holds five exuberant monkeys/two year olds describing a recent imaginary bear hunt.
The school age kids have a new room as well. It’s called The Clubhouse and consists of two adjoining rooms.
More changes are being planned but it takes money. “Being a not-for-profit community organization, we rely on support from the community through grants, endowments, and charitable gifts.” Tooley explains. “Through their donations of time, money, and equipment the daycare has been able to add new playground equipment for their outdoor play area as well as much needed furnishings indoors.”
Another established business in the area has stepped in to help. “One day about a year ago, OFS calls up and asks us if we need anything out here”, Tooley recalls. “I said yes, we can always use stuff.”
But OFS made them a lot of stuff; custom furniture, tables, big comfy chairs, and furnishings for the older kids. They even made cabinets, book shelves, step stools, and wardrobes for dress-up clothes. “They made us all this stuff, basically gave us whatever we needed.” Tooley said. “All the local businesses have been supportive.
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The growth doesn’t stop with new floors, freshly painted walls, and custom furniture, Tooley explained that the experience and education of the providers is an important part of their improvement too. Some of the lead teachers and assistants have been with the daycare since the founding.
Education and instruction are a priority for the providers. The board of directors sees the value in encouraging and supporting their providers in their efforts to gain more knowledge and experience in the field of early childhood education. Near all of the staff have Child Development Associates Certificate and most have a two or four year degrees in early childhood education.
Tooley, has a bachelor’s degree in secondary education, but returned back to school to acquire her National Director’s Credential. “I knew I enjoyed the children and found a place here but I felt like I needed to know more about the paperwork and administrative side of things to really be able to provide guidance and structure for the program,” said Tooley.
Other improvements at the daycare include a fingerprint recognition system for signing children in and out. When the parent signs the child in or out the computer tells them of any files the parent needs to update with the daycare such as shot records and medical visits.
Software to help manage child attendance, enrollment records, and staffing allows Tooley more time to focus on the needs of the children and employees, but that’s what this business is all about, smiles , giggles, squeals, and even tears.
A Kid’s Place will celebrate their twentieth anniversary on Saturday August 27th. At 3 p.m. the celebration kicks off with a tour of the facility. There will be a Get Wet Magic Show (be prepared to get wet) and lots of activities.
