ENTRUSTING THE FUTURE: CHILD DAY-CARES OFFER VARIOUS SETTINGS FOR VARIOUS NEEDS

Zachary Pierce, left, and Asten Eftink played with Legos before nap time.

Fixing food for 75 children is no small project.

Choosing a proper day-care is of utmost importance to parents of young children so it's advantageous that many Cape Girardeau day-cares address different needs.

That leaves parents with various day-care needs with varying day-care programs to chose from.

There are 13 day-care centers in Cape Girardeau with enough differences that parents can custom-pick the day-care that best suit their preferences and their children's needs. There are also a number of in-home day-care providers.

KinderCare, 113 S. Silver Springs Road, is more than a day-care, said Lisa Clement, the assistant director.

"We are a learning center," she said. "We offer each age group a different setting, more of a classroom-type situation."

Children learn from the time they are toddlers until they are 13, Clement said, adding that they watch infants, as well. Ninety-six children are enrolled there.

Toddlers are taught self-reliance and helping others. They also do an art project every day. At 3, children learn about science revolving around a nature theme. Four-year-olds focus on reading, with fun story books and fairy tales.

KinderCare offers a certified kindergarten program for 5-year-olds, Clement said. This prepares children for elementary school by teaching counting and writing.

Older children attend an after-school program that concentrates on more creative aspects of learning, such as putting on a play.

"Here, we develop the whole child, physically, intellectually and socially," Clement said.

At KinderCare, the price varies from $131 a week for infants to $87 a week for before-and-after-school child care.

The Early Childhood Center, 1912 Broadway, is Christian-oriented, for parents who want to instill Christian values early on.

"We say prayers before snacks," said Abby Popp, the business manager. "We have a 'Christian time' here where we talk about loving one another and how to behave."

They offer a safe comfortable environment with a Christian setting, Popp said, while not singling out one religious denomination.

"Our mission is to help children learn and develop and provide care, growth and experience for all who attend here," she said.

All of the staff are adults, Popp said. This comforts some parents, she said, adding that some day-cares have "kids watching kids."

Some of the staff are males, too, a fact Popp takes pride in: "That's good for young boys," she said. "Especially considering there are a lot of one-parent settings. It gives them a strong male role model to look up to."

Prices range at the Early Childhood Center from $110 for infants to $72.50 for 3-, 4- and 5-year-olds. About 200 children are enrolled there.

At A Small World Pre-School, 1215 N. Kingshighway, co-owner Cathy Clark said children get a strong dose of social skills.

"We follow a curriculum and learn numbers and colors," she said. "But we tell the parents the biggest thing they'll get here is how to act socially."

Learning how to listen, share, act and react to others is stressed. That's every bit as important as learning colors and how to count, Clark said.

"You'll see kids who stayed home with their parents who are as smart as can be, but have no social skills," Clark said. "And that will cause them problems in elementary school."

A Small World also has an indoor gym and a cafeteria. They charge $65 for a five-day week with 99 children enrolled there.

At the Christian School for the Young Years, 735 N. Clark, the question most often asked is "What would Jesus do?"

Gail Jones has taught there for 14 years and she said it is a place where children are comfortable and know they are loved.

"Since they can't be in a home setting, we make it as close to a home setting as we can," she said. "It's a place where they feel like they are a part of life."

It is very value-based, Jones said. They have daily prayers, she said, and focus as much on human relationships as they do on math and reading skills. They visit nursing homes and learn how to be kind.

"If they can learn to be kind and fair, that's a good step in being prepared for life," Jones said.

They do not accept infants. About 123 children attend; the rates range from $35 a week for before and after school children to $80 a week for 2-year-olds.