When Brandy Bryan searched for a daycare that would be an extension of her home and couldn't find one, she found her niche.
Bryan opened Creative Kids Care at her home, 2953 Willowdale Road in Portage in November 2008 and became a licensed daycare in September. Bryan is certified for up to 12 children, infant through school age. She watches children from 6 a.m.to 6 p.m., provides two snacks, a healthy breakfast and lunch and offers an infant curriculum for children under two and a preschool curriculum for two to five year olds, both through Mother Goose Time.
"I searched and searched for daycare and could never find what I was looking for, homey and education and not a large turnover," she explained. "I wanted close contact, education and structure. I wanted the kids to feel like it's a family, not jut daycare. An extension of the family and I think you can have that with home daycare."
The infant curriculum is dispersed throughout the day and preschool is 8 to 10 a.m.Children learn through fun activities focusing on language, speech not just letters and includes music, art, crafts, math, science, manipulatives and socialization. Recently while learning about the rainforest the older children made a craft and then passed it along to the younger children so they could touch and feel it and learn about the color green.
Free-play and directed-play at centers is part of each day. Children work on fine motor by drawing, cutting with scissors and playing with Cheerios. Gross motor skills get a workout when the children play in the quarter acre fenced in area on swing sets, ride bikes, or play with hula hoops and riding toys, or in the basement where there are bigger toys, a kitchen set and a dramatic play area.
Bryan and her husband, Zachery, agree this is an ideal situation. She is with her children, Tristen, 2, and Blake, 1, while providing a home daycare for working parents. For more information, call (219) 764-0425.
By Sue Bero, Times Correspondent
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