Everything we do centers around providing QUALITY early childhood education to the children in our care.

At the Kenesaw United Child Care Coalition, we believe education is more than learning letters, shapes, and colors and that it is about the whole person, no matter how small.

Children are born with unlimited potential. From the moment they are born, children are learning, eagerly exploring, and interacting with the world around them. Our goal is to nurture this eagerness by providing opportunities for growth and exploration in a warm, safe and loving environment.

Program Information 

Our Classrooms

Infant (6weeks to 12 months)

Our infant program focuses on providing tender, loving care for our youngest children.  Staff will follow each child’s own schedule for feeding, diapering, and sleeping to ensure their individual needs are met. A daily report card will be filled out and sent home with each infant.  We will have a “No Shoe Policy” in our infant area to keep the environment as clean as possible. 

Some examples of the activities you will see are:

• Stroller rides
• Outdoor time in the designated infant area
• Cause and effect toys
• Singing songs and fingerplays
• Tummy Time
• Exposure to soft block building
• Reading books
• Sensory Activities
• Receiving lots of love and attention

Junior Toddler (12 months to 24 months)

We will focus on providing fun activities that encourage physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development.  The schedule will be flexible enough to meet the individual needs of the children but still provide opportunities to introduce a bit of structure to the group and establish more consistent routines. 

Milestones we will focus on…

• Increased language development
• Increased gross motor skills
• Interest in joining groups of children
• The need for routine
• Awareness of self and others
• Desire to explore environment freely
• Outdoor play and stroller rides
• Music and movement

Toddlers (24 months to 3 years old including the ½ day preschool)

We will focus on providing fun activities that encourage physical, emotional, social, and cognitive development.  The schedule will be flexible enough to meet the individual needs of the children but still provide opportunities to introduce a bit of structure to the group and establish more consistent routines. 

Milestones we will focus on…

• Increased social skills and social interaction
• Developing fine motor control
• Ability to problem solve
• Increased ability to communicate verbally
• Demonstrating independence skills
• Learning songs, music and movement
• Experiencing books and sensory activities
• Outdoor play 

School-Aged Kids (Full Day Preschool to 12 years of age)

We will provide before and after school care for these children, all day Fridays for Preschool children, and off school days. Imagination and Play are key to the growth of your child and we will do our best to provide that.   

• Before and after school supervised walk to and from Kenesaw Elementary school
• After school program includes a snack and planned activities
• All day care on non-school days – includes all meals and snacks
• Summer program with activities and field trips

Child to Staff Ratios

We will be following DHHS licensing regulations the following are their Staff to Child Ratios. 

• 1 teacher to four infants (6weeks to 18months)
• 1 teacher to six toddlers (18months to 3 years)
• 1 teacher to ten 3 year olds
• 1 teacher to twelve 4 & 5 year olds
• 1 teacher to fifteen school age children (6 years to 12 years)

*Although our classrooms will have different age ranges, we will make sure that our teacher-to-child ratios meet these guidelines. 

Before & After School 

We are excited to offer before and after-school care. We will have a teacher walk with children from the center to the school each morning and a staff person will meet the children outside of the school and walk with them back to the center after school. We are working on a plan for inclement weather days. 

Our after-school space will be designed around a STEM-based program.  Our teachers will be offering hands-on activities and experiments and will be focused on Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. 

We will also be offering summer care for school-age children.  This will be a fun Summer Camp-type experience with lots of fun activities and hopefully field trips.

Family Engagement

We hope to have Family Engagement Nights.  These fun-filled evenings will be a chance for parents, children, and teachers to learn together.   

Volunteers

We are excited to work with the Foster Grandparent Program. As a foster grandparent, you will have the unique and rewarding opportunity to positively impact the lives of children in our community.  The volunteers will provide a meaningful role to our children by being a mentor, a role model, and a friend. If interested in becoming a volunteer, please reach out to director@kenesawchildcare.org. 

How it Started:

Eight Kenesaw community members who wanted to address the child care gap formed the Kenesaw United Child Care Coalition (KUCCC).  A child care center was identified as the best way to address all the issues our community was facing in regards to access to quality child care.  

Location for a child care center:

The Kenesaw United Methodist Church had decided to close and KUCCC approached the congregation about acquiring their building.

The congregation was ecstatic about the legacy of their church living on in a facility dedicated to Kenesaw’s children.

The church is in great condition and in an ideal location, located just two blocks from the school and one block from the city park.

About the Facility:

• Owned and operated by the non-profit corporation
• Managed by a director, who is governed by the non-profit’s board of directors
• Currently remodeling facility with plans to accommodate up to 75 children ages 6 weeks to 12 years old
• Separate classrooms for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and school-aged children
• Part of Nebraska’s Step Up to Quality program ensuring the education and care provided are meeting the necessary standards in early-childhood education
• KUCCC will also provide tuition assistance or scholarships based on a need to ensure ALL families who wish to use the child care facility have the ability to do so
• Part of Nebraska’s Step Up to Quality program ensuring the education and care provided are meeting the necessary standards in early-childhood education
• Part of Nebraska’s Step Up to Quality program ensuring the education and care provided are meeting the necessary standards in early-childhood education
• Accessible for all children and their various needs and abilities