WASHINGTON —
A new daycare and preschool at Antioch Christian Church is designed to provide a safe, age-appropriate, child-centered environment for children.
Legacy Learning Center (LLC) will replace Rainbow Ark Preschool and a daycare will be added to provide care for children aged 6 weeks to 5 years. Under the supervision of new director, Danyelle Niehaus, the daycare will open Aug. 6 and preschool classes will begin Sept. 4.
“We’re Christian based, so our mission is unconditional love for all children no matter where they come from,” Niehaus said, explaining children needn’t be affiliated with Antioch Christian Church (ACC). “We accept them all.”
LLC is a ministry under the auspices of the church, she said, and will provide a meaningful experience for children daily. Hours will be 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday through Friday.
“We’re not going to sit them in front of a TV,” Niehaus said. “We’re going to provide an opportunity to grow.
“I’m very excited about getting started and letting the community know how important early education is.”
Niehaus, who’s from Washington and has three children with her husband, Chad, has bachelor’s degrees in early childhood education and elementary education. She operated New Discoveries home daycare in Washington for nine years and was a pilot daycare for the Paths to Quality program, a voluntary system created to improve the quality of child care and early education, give parents a tool to find the best program for their needs, and recognize providers on four levels that each build upon the one below it.
She said some of the 11 new employees hired to staff LLC also have early-childhood backgrounds and she’s collaborating with them to create an age-appropriate, theme-based curriculum that will be unique to LLC. The curriculum will use hands-on activity centers to engage children in learning in a fun way, and there will be frequent rotations to keep the children engaged.
“It’s great to collaborate so we can bounce ideas off each other,” Niehaus said.
There will be an infant/toddler room for children from 6 weeks to 2 years in age, with three employees for no more than 10 children. Niehaus said infants will receive lots of individual attention and staff will work around each infant’s schedule. Socialization and communication are major focuses with toddlers.
Three- to 5-year-old classrooms will have a student-teacher ratio of 15:3. Classrooms for 4- and 5-year-olds are interactive and designed to meet a wide range of developmental needs and abilities, according to Niehaus.
“We’ll offer full-time and part-time child care,” Niehaus said. “In Washington that’s a huge deal. A lot of daycares don’t offer part time.”
She said the daycare and preschool will work hand-in-hand so a child can go from preschool to daycare and parents won’t have to find other daycare, pick the child up during the workday and make the switch. Currently there are two preschool classrooms, but Niehaus said the ACC elders will allow her to use more rooms if necessary.
“There’s lots of room to grow. I’m blessed that the elders will give us more rooms,” said the 13-year ACC member. “They’re my No. 1 cheerleader, giving me everything I need to open a quality daycare.”
Children attending LLC will have two playgrounds at their disposal and will be allowed to use the DistinXion Gym when weather won’t allow outdoor play.
“We’re very excited about that,” Niehaus said. “We’re going to have riding toys to use in the gym. They’ll be able to get physical activity in the winter.”
Breakfast, lunch and a snack will be prepared in a vast kitchen at the facility and served to students in their classrooms. A nutritionist was hired to coordinate the meals, and that is one area the state will monitor.
LLC is an unlicensed, registered ministry, Niehaus explained, so there are some areas the state will regulate. But, she said, the daycare/preschool curriculum and environment will not be state controlled.
“Once we get started, the state will come in and we’ll be on ‘Paths to Quality,’” Niehaus continued.
In Level 1 of Paths to Quality, providers must meet required health and safety standards. To move up to Level 2, participants must show a commitment to providing an environment that supports children’s learning. At Level 3, a planned curriculum must guide child development and prepare them for school. When a facility reaches Level 4, it becomes nationally accredited and the director mentors others in the field.
Parents interested in enrolling their children at LLC can reach Niehaus at 254-2651 or 259-1948. Multiple-child discounts and a voucher program will be available to qualified parents.
Local News
Related Photos
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Teacher Terri Gregory, left center, and Director Danyelle Niehaus, right center, interview a family at Legacy Learning Center, Antioch Christian Church’s new daycare and preschool. The facility is currently accepting applications. Kelly Overton
Discussion
New day care to nurture, foster child development
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