Mrs. Brooke's Curious Kids Program, a Christian Childcare Center
505 E Walsh, Centerville, IA 641-895-7488
WELCOME TO CURIOUS KIDS CHILDCARE and PRESCHOOL!
I AM HAPPY YOU HAVE COME HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT US!
If you have questions please feel free to call or text Michelle at 641-895-7488
Our Philosophy and Mission Statement
Our goal is to nurture curiosity in children because curious children are always learning. We will purposely teach and enforce good manners, accountability, and service to each other. We will teach and model respect for each other and our environment. We will work with families in teaching children how to contribute to their world not just take away from it. We will care for your child in such a way that not only your child will benefit but also your home and community. We will help students learn to put others before themselves and take responsibility for their actions.
Our Vision Statement
Our families and children will gain experiences and support beyond the scope of regular childcare. This will be done by developing a trusting relationship with our families. Together we hope to grow stronger families and communities.
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About once a year, Iowa Child Care Assistance increases its reimbursement rates for childcare fees. Since we cannot charge the state more than we charge our personal pay families I only increase some of my rates when the state increases its rates. The state reimbursement rate will increase as of July 1 this year. I will be increasing some of our fees to match the going rate starting September 1, 2021
The increase in rates is as follows, given in half-day rates which is 5 hours, double for a full day, up to 10 hours. If you are unable to pay this rate and find that you do not qualify for Child Care Assistance, let's talk. There are other options to help make childcare affordable and we are willing to work with you.
Infants/ Toddlers half-day $21.50
Preschool half-day $18.98
School-age half-day $15
Before or After School $3.00 per hour
Our minimum per week is 2 half days or one full day. This is the amount you will pay for whether or not your child attends
All of our other fees will remain the same, except that the monthly art and activity fee is being removed
News and Highlights
We are entering the holiday season. To kick it off we are having The Great Candu Harvest from 6:00 to 7:00 Trick or treat night. There will be harvest equipment in the parking lot in the back and trick or treating and activities inside the building. Please join us and bring a friend or 2.
After Halloween, we begin our food collection competition. We go hallway against hallway and the team who collects the most canned good to be donated to The Lord's Cupboard will win either a pizza or ice cream party which will be part of our Thanksgiving celebration.
When Christmas rolls around, each child will be given a gift from all of us. The classrooms will have their individual parties and we will celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ in some special way. We like gifts but we also really appreciate classroom gifts. Each teacher will have a wish list posted outside their door. If you would like to give a gift, consider giving one of the items listed on the classroom gift list. the kids will open those gifts during their classroom party.
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Please Note
Our Preferred way to pay is through Tuition Express, a secure automatic payment system. We can get with you to set this payment option up. We also accept debit and credit card payments at our card reader next to our sign-in computer. A $5 monthly fee will be added to those accounts that continue to pay by cash or check.
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Please make an appointment or stop by to pick up an enrollment packet and take a tour of our facility. We would love to meet you and show you around. If you need extra enrollment papers you can now print them off here. Just click the About Us/ Program Handbook to the left. Call Michelle Brooke, 641-895-7488
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This would be a great time to check into Child Care Assistance, even if you think you don't qualify. Many families qualify for reduced-cost childcare but don't realize it. If you qualify, you could be responsible for only a small portion of your childcare fee. Keep in mind also that if your child has an IEP at school or a special need it is more likely that you qualify.
Go to http://ccmis.dhs.state.ia.us/ClientPortal/welcome.aspxto to find out more.
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Did you know we are on Facebook? Like and follow our pages, Curious Kids Childcare and Curious 3's. We will occasionally post pictures of our activities, share weather-related information, and announce upcoming events, and reminders of policies. In general, it is the quickest way for you to stay informed.
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Curious Kids is a 5 2 1 0 Healthy Choices Count Registered Site. We ask that families join with us as we encourage our children to:
Eat 5 or more fruits and vegetables a day
Have 2 hours or less screen time each day
Spend 1 hour or more of physical active
Consume 0 sugary drinks, instead drink more water
Our Mission
- Our mission is to give quality care to your child and keep hands-on learning a priority.
- Our goal is to nurture curiosity in our children because curious children are always learning.
- Prayer will be part of our day, as well as Bible study.
- We will purposely teach and enforce good manners, accountability, and service to the community.
- We will teach respect to each other and our environment.
- Field trips will be planned that educate your child about their world and how to contribute to it, not just take away from it.
About our Staff Requirements:
There are 7 mandatory pieces of training and record checks each staff member must complete periodically to be employed at Curious Kids:
Criminal History
Abuse Record Check
Mandatory Reporter
First Aid
CPR
Universal Precautions
Essentials Pre-service training
Passport to Early Childhood Education
Each Staff member must also complete 6 - 10 additional hours of training in the childcare field annually. FYI The Curious Kids Staff have on average 40 hours of additional training per year.
Our Teachers
Michelle Brooke is the owner and director of Curious Kids. She is married to Richard Brooke and has one daughter, Abbie Pangburn. She believes that God gave her daughter to her to help her find a career in education and child care. It wasn't until she was hired as an aide in Abbie's preschool that she discovered a love for teaching young children.
Michelle has a Child Development Associate and has earned her National Administrators Credential in July of 2019.
Michelle has worked with lower elementary children for 18 years. In those years she has dedicated herself to learning more about helping children with special needs, finding ways to make learning fun, and collecting Bible lessons and other activities to help the children in her care learn and grow morally. Michelle's hobbies include gardening, reading classics, yoga, being in nature, and refinishing unloved furniture into pieces that are useful, loved, and beautiful again.
Our Teachers
Veronika Arnold is our aide to all! She will usually be found in the 3-year-old classrooms but loves to help out in the infant and toddler rooms also. We have all become better people with the advice she has given. She makes all of us feel special.
Katelyn Hughes is the lead teacher of our 2-year-old room and supervisor of the west hallway classrooms. She loves kids and hopes to further her education and continue working with children. She finds that her hobbies now revolve around learning more about the care and education of children.
Vickie Ingram was the first person I hired when Curious Kids began. She has at least 100 years (lol) experience teaching children and really knows how to make children feel special! She is a mentor to all and has recently returned to Curious Kids after a few years of retirement. Vickie works in our Curious 3's Preschool classroom and with our school-aged kids.
Tonia Richards is the lead of our 1-year-old classroom and our Bible Education teacher.
Krystal Baker She works well anywhere we need her. :)
Brenda Regenwether is the lead of our infant room
Summer McSweeney is the lead of our school-age room
Asia Shelledy is our newest member and works in the 1 to 3-year-old rooms.
Vickira and Cherie are our lovely young ladies who come after school to clean and sanitize our classrooms. This allows our staff to focus more on the children instead of their cleaning duties.
I am very proud of all of my staff. This job isn't an easy one and the hours of work and training they have committed to demonstrating their devotion to making Curious Kids a quality childcare center you can be confident in.
We are very happy to be able to offer child care that is making a difference in our young children's lives. Our families know that while their children are at Curious Kids, they are receiving the best care available. We are here for our families as a connection to help and support, guidance and training.
Testimonials
"I cannot say enough wonderful things about Michelle Brooke, her staff, and the Curious Kids program. It is truly a blessing to not only our family but to the community of Centerville to have her here. When my son is there I can be assured that he is safe, he is learning, he is being held accountable for his decisions, and he is loved. Mrs. Brooke has created a wonderful atmosphere of caring and curiosity. If the children are intrigued by something, they study it. They utilize computers, music, and art. They don't just look at pictures to find out what happens to caterpillars, they find one and watch the transformation themselves. In addition to intellectual growth, the children also grow socially and spiritually. They learn how God expects us to treat others and to appreciate our many blessings. They learn to look outside their bubble and be concerned for their neighbor. They learn to value service and to value each other. I am thankful that my son has had the opportunity to be cared for by Mrs. Brooke and I know that he is better because of it."
"The Curious Kids program has been an important and beneficial part of my children’s early childhood and beginning school years. My boys enjoy the fun activities and playtime with friends. As a parent, I enjoy the learning of educational skills, computer skills, and social skills that are taught during their time at Curious Kids. Kids learn life skills by helping the community and have many opportunities for field trips and guest speakers. The name of the program says it all; the units studied at Curious Kids have helped my boys love learning and studying new things."