As part of the repurposing of the former Spooner Hospital and Clinic, whose available spaces are filling up nicely with several businesses's already open and thriving, several more just about ready to open, and others, like the assisted living second floor is on track to open yet this year despite construction delays.
After almost a year and a half of waiting for all the gears to click into place, the Cradle to Crayons Pre-School will be open on Monday, October 2.
The child care industry is a protected program in order to keep America's children safe, so after running into initial construction delays, there was an application for a per-license to fill out which included an inspection. When owner Kris Strunk passed that one there was an application for the State of Wisconsin she had to fill out which also included an inspection.
She passed that one too and was told it would be a sixty-day wait before she would know if she had been approved. Only three weeks later she learned that she passed with flying colors, meaning that on Monday, October 2, Cradles to Crayons, a preschool facility for children from six weeks to age four, will open their doors for business between the hours of 6a until 6p Monday through Friday.
Kris is a graduate of Spooner High School and comes to the child care field with over eighteen years of experience.
In her new facility, which is in the former ER section of the hospital, there is room for sixty-four children and a minimum staff of seven, depending on the total number of children.
Her area in the facility has five classrooms, a child's library, an indoor playground, an outdoor playground and room for school-aged children from age five to twelve years to stick around before and after school, or early release days or snow days when school is not in session.
She's even providing a coffee station for parents who are dropping off their children so they can have a cup before they head off for the day or a cup to go.
The meals for her staff and children will be provided by the certified Maple Ridge kitchen staff who already create the home-style food for the residents of their facility.
The breakfast and lunch meals will be nutritionally balanced as will be the snacks.
The nap-aged kids can use their favorite blanket and even pillow in class if they so choose and leave them in their own cubby.
Parents of infants can do the same thing with their young children in order to supply their baby's needs from extra diapers to a change or two of clothes.
“I want to emphasise,” said Kris, “that we are here for the community and we want parents to feel comfortable leaving their children with us. We will make sure their children are safe and secure and well tended.
“The difference between a daycare and a preschool,” she added “ is preschool has a definite curriculum for each age, teaching them their ABC's, doing art, learning the days of the week and so on. It's like daycare, but more structured.”
Kris is looking for qualified teaching help and encourages anyone interested in a position to call her at 715-939-1041 or interested person's can email their resumes to cradletocrayons017@yahoo.com Information on both preschool fees and employee pay can be obtained at either by email or phone.
To qualify as a sub, a person needs to be over eighteen, pass a drug and background test and have taken the Shaken Baby Syndrome class offered monthly in Hayward.
To have all your questions answered at the same time and take a tour of the facility, an Open House is scheduled for this Saturday, September 30 from 10a until 2p.
Everyone is invited to come out, have cookies and coffee and punch, and see what's going on in this facility that's been thoroughly revamped in order to make it user-friendly for so many families in so many ways.
Parent's are encouraged to bring their children along so they can see what's new while parents can see the latest in loving childcare.
Last Update: Sep 28, 2017 5:17 pm CDT
