For Childcare links click here.
When choosing childcare, it’s important to keep in mind that the facility’s reputation, along with its accreditations, are the most important things to consider.
“When selecting any kind of childcare, look for a facility that has a great reputation and is built on a firm foundation of trust, quality and dependability,” said Rhonda Blades, owner of Primrose School at West Lake in Holly Springs.
“Relocating families should check agencies around the community such as the chamber of commerce to learn the reputation of the center,” said Lois Stephenson, president of Building Blocks Childcare and Development Center. “The center should be visited to get a feel for the culture, philosophy of the programs, health and sanitation practices as well as an overall impression of the environment. The reputation of the center in the community is an important part of the decision process as “word of mouth” is the best form of referral.”
The State of North Carolina created the star-rated license in order to help parents choose childcare providers more wisely and to establish standards for the level of quality education the facility delivers.
Based on three key standards, including education, compliance and program standards, each facility that is licensed earns from one star to five stars. This designation makes it easy for you to choose a facility based on the level of care with which you are most comfortable.
Below are some of the quality childcare institutions in the Johnston/Southern Wake county area.
Building Blocks Child Care
One of the most widely respected childcare facilities is located in Clayton. Building Blocks Child Care and Development Center has achieved statewide recognition for the quality of care, talented staff and state-of-the-art facilities that are mainstays in its three facilities.
“A child’s parents are their first teacher,” said Stephenson. “We pride ourselves on our partnership with the family in order to foster a child’s physical, intellectual, emotional and social development.”
Two of centers have received accreditation from the National School Age Care Alliance. There are only 27 programs in North Carolina and 220 nationwide that have achieved this national accreditation. Two of the Building Blocks centers have also received five stars from the Division of Child Development.
Building Blocks provides a well-rounded program designed for children from birth to 12 years of age
“Our reputation in the community is an asset,” Stephenson said. “Our facilities are bright and cheerful with child-oriented colors and decorations. Our playgrounds are large and well-maintained, offering many challenging and enjoyable structures and activities.”
According to its Web site, Building Blocks Child Care Center believes that children are unique individuals. Its goal is to provide an experience, which meet the child’s physical, social emotional, creative, and intellectual needs. Its program provides exposure to all of these areas of development on a daily bass. Through hands on experience, children have the opportunity to explore their own individuality and creativity. According to the Web site, the school offers both individual and group activities so the child not only learns about their world, but what role their peers have in it as well. “Our staff provides a warm nurturing environment where the child can feel safe and secure. We are not biased against an individual’s race or religion. We strive to strengthen the child’s own cultural identity, and help them develop a respect for others who may be different. We encourage parent involvement whenever possible, inviting the parents to visit throughout the day as often as they like.”
Gingerbread LittleVersity
With three preschool and childcare locations in Fuquay-Varina, it is the mission of Gingerbread LittleVersity to support parents in the care of their children by providing a safe and secure place for them to learn, socialize, and develop into responsible, intelligent citizens of the community. The staff’s vision to see the development of an educational program designed to maintain and enhance its delivery of a high-quality, cost-effective preschool.
Gingerbread LittleVersity, a four-star facility with superior health inspection, is a locally owned chain of preschools and an Infant Center offering young children a structured program with a “learning is fun” approach. It is family owned and operated with over 25 years of service to Southern Wake County parents.
The school requires its teachers to meet all qualifications for lead teacher, assistant teacher and teacher’s aide. Teachers are responsible to meet North Carolina’s in-service training requirements through continuing education and child development education workshops.
Primrose School at West Lake
Located literally next door to two elementary schools, a middle school, and a high school, Primrose School at West Lake completes the circle of local high quality educational institutions for area youngsters that live in Fuquay-Varina, Holly Springs, southern Cary, and Johnston County.
“Our spacious school campus has 10 private classrooms with state-of-the-art wireless technology to complement our curriculum,” said Blades. “Outdoors, we have five separate and secure age appropriate playgrounds that accommodate each stage of the children’s early development with equipment specifically designed to help them develop and grow their gross motor skills.”
Our SACS CASI accredited campus is nestled in the beautiful four corners of Holly Springs, Cary, Fuquay-Varina and Apex. We are located in "The Park At West Lake" community (at the intersection of Optimist Farm and West Lake Road) across the street from West Lake Elementary, Middle Creek Elementary, and Middle Creek Park.
“Primrose School at West Lake isn’t really a daycare center,” Blades said. “We are a private preschool that offers childcare as an added value to meet the needs of parents. This means that with Primrose, a family gets the best of both worlds -- a warm, safe and secure childcare environment, staffed by professional educators. We offer one of the best educational experiences available to children ages 6 weeks to 5 years, and up to age 12 in its after school as well as summer camps program."
“We are not only a North Carolina five-star rated preschool, but we also earned the distinction of having achieved a perfect score of 15,” Blades continued. “What the five-star rating system does not measure in-depth is the quality of your curriculum. The Primrose School’s Balance Learning Curriculum has achieved accreditation status from the most prominent and respected education association in the country: SACS (The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools).”
For Childcare links click here.