The Under the Son Childcare Center has recently taken ownership of a bus that was formerly a part of the Crawford County Memorial Hospital transportation service. Team Auto Group and Early Childhood Iowa helped fund the bus. Photo submitted
The new Under the Son Childcare Center in Schleswig is headed for an opening on August 23.
Center Director Stacy Jepsen and Assistant Director Julie Schroeder started in May.
The other staff members will start work on Tuesday, August 9; their initial efforts will involve setting up the classrooms, working on lesson plans, and scheduling the training sessions they are required to take.
“Currently we have seven staff, but we are also in the process of hiring more because our numbers have gone up,” Jepsen said.
As of Thursday, 46 students were enrolled at the center.
Jepsen said she and Schroeder have been working through a long list of items in preparation for the center’s opening.
“We’ve been working on parent handbooks, staff handbooks, forms, learning the new software system, which is Brightwheel (childcare facility management software), and getting things ordered for the center,” she said.
They have also created forms for families, taken mandatory training sessions, moved/assembled classroom furniture, worked on scheduling, and created lessons for the teachers to use.
“We had the fire marshal here and the building inspector,” Jepsen said. “We want to make sure we have everything done before the center opens.”
They have hired a cook who will make “home-cooked meals” for the children and staff.
She and Schroeder worked together at a previous job and are excited to be working together again.
“We have had a lot of fun during this journey so far, and looking forward to the successes in the days ahead,” Jepsen said.
On July 27, they met with a representative of the Iowa Department of Human Services about licensing for the center.
“She had a list of things that have to be done – we made sure we had that whole list done,” Jepsen said.
The representative looked over the building and asked questions about the capacity of each classroom, and the training requirements they have completed. She reviewed the fire marshal’s report, and asked other questions about the center.
“We had to have the classrooms set up as if children were coming tomorrow so she could see how it was set up and make any recommendations,” she said. “When she left, she gave us the approval to open. She’ll come back after we’re open to review everything – emergency cards, immunizations, and all the children’s paperwork. She’ll review all that to make sure everything’s done and then we’ll get our official license.”
An open house for families will take place at the center from 2 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, August 17.
Another open house will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. on September 17 during Schleswig Calf Show Days.
Jepsen said the center is in need of a variety of items and would welcome the donation of any of the following: sheets or pillowcases to make cot sheets, elastic to add to cot sheets, zip lock bags, Kleenex, children’s scissors, markers, crayons, watercolor paints, construction paper, glue sticks, glue, Expo markers, stickers, clear contact paper, plastic tablecloths, All “Free and Clear” laundry soap, Dreft, board games, and puzzles for children.
“We have received a lot of community support, from donations to helping us move items to the center, to helping us lay sod for the playground,” she said. “We appreciate everyone that has helped us in any way.”
She looks forward to opening the center’s doors.
“I’m excited to watch all the children come into the hallways and into the classrooms,” Jepsen said. “The teachers are excited; they haven’t started yet but they stop in to go to the classrooms to see what it looks like. Staff are excited, directors are excited, and the families are ready to get started.”
Individuals interested in enrolling a child may contact the center through the Under the Son Childcare Facebook page, at schleswigundertheson@gmail.com, or at 712-269-1167.
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The Under the Son Childcare Center has recently taken ownership of a bus that was formerly a part of the Crawford County Memorial Hospital transportation service. Team Auto Group and Early Childhood Iowa helped fund the bus. Photo submitted