A NEW LEVEL: Kids in the ages 6-12 room have the ability to use the computer for video games. Pictured above, one of the kids makes it to a new level, revealing what he said is a rare character.

THOMASVILLE- Parents in Thomasville and Thomas County know how difficult it can be to find proper child care. Now, with the opening of Thomasville Child Care Center, parents can find comfort in knowing their child is lovingly cared for while they return to work.

Program Director Angela Miller knows the need all too well.

“We had so many people in the community who had nowhere to take their kids, and I was one of them,” Miller said.

Miller was one of the employees at Peanut’s Kiddie Kollege. Once it shut down, she was out of options for child care, forcing her to stay home and raise her children.

“There was no one taking kids,” she said. “There was such a demand for infant care as well, because a lot of the daycares in town don’t take under a certain age.”

With this in mind, Thomasville Child Care Center wanted to make sure every child had a place to go and began offering services for infants as young as six-weeks old.

The children in the care of the Center are divided into eight separate classrooms, ensuring every age group gets the proper attention and education needed.

“We have two infant classrooms, because infant care was the biggest need in the community,” Miller said.

Every classroom has lesson plans based off the Bright From the Start age group.

“Even the infant room has a lesson plan,” Miller said. “They have milestones they are supposed to meet and we are working on those with them.”

Once children transition from the infant room, all of their lessons are based off the standards on the Bright From the Start website.

Miller explained a child’s typical day begins at 6 a.m., when they open. They are then treated to breakfast, before free play time and recess. Upon returning from recess, teachers host a circle time, where they are read stories and have music and movement. The kids then enjoy a lunch and head straight into nap time.

Once kids wake up from their nap, they have an hour of activity, which may include more music and dancing or a craft. They are then treated to one more snack, before another outdoor adventure.

“Based on Bright From the Start, we are required to give them a certain amount of free time and outside time, as long as the weather cooperates,” Miller said. “It’s been studied kids learn more in free time than they do when they are required to sit and do certain activities.”

Thomasville Child Care Center has taken every possible step to make the experience affordable for all parents. They offer special rates for Archbold employees, EMS, police, and firefighters, along with children who attend St. Thomas for a half day, before being transported to Thomasville Child Care Center.

“We are in the process of getting our CAPS and being Quality Rated,” Miller explained. “It’ll be a huge deal for us to get CAPS, because a lot of places don’t have that now since the process has changed.”

Thomasville Child Care Center is set to officially get their CAPS on Wednesday, which will allow for many more kids, especially foster kids.

“We have so many foster kids coming, which is a huge deal,” Miller said. “I really wanted to be able to help as many people as I could. If you get dropped off a kid one night, you deserve to have a place to take them the next day.”

Thomasville Child Care has even gone the extra mile to provide child care for Parent’s Night Out, which is held the second Friday of every month. However, they have also included their offerings to care for children during every home football game this season.

Sign-up for the Parent’s Night Out is required two days ahead of time, so the Center knows how many teachers to bring on for the night of the event.

The Parent’s Night Out is for children ages 6 weeks- 12 years old. The 6-12 year-olds have a separate room, complete with televisions and computers for them to play games on and enjoy a quieter space away from fussy youngsters.

Parents are required to pick up children by midnight. Cots are available for kids ages 6-12 who tire out early.

For more information on Parent’s Night Out or Thomasville Child Care Center, call 229-236-4062.