Kids' Day Out

Kids' Day Out is a regularly scheduled day away from home for young children, where they may play, learn, and grow in a Christian atmosphere with encouragement from supportive adults.  The children have the opportunity to develop social relationships with peers, while engaging in free and guided play, in an environment that encourages cooperation and positive self-esteem.

Kids' Day Out is a ministry to the community, developed to serve the needs of young families whose small children are not regularly involved in a daily day care arrangement.  It offers the care-giving parent a break from routine and surroundings to pursue other interests and responsibilities, while the children spend a day out engaged in positively directed activities of their own, with their peers. In this program, children engage in both free play and directed activity under supportive and loving supervision.  Group activities, planned according to developmental levels of the children, include:  art, crafts, nature, music, finger plays, creative movement, large motor and learning games, and circle and story time.  The staff works with the children to help them develop the skills they need in future years, building on the foundation for future success which parents have begun at  home.

The program welcomes children from later infancy through the pre-school years, regardless of religious affiliation or ethnic background.  It meets one day a week, on Wednesday, from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the education wing of the church through the school year, with the exception of holidays and snow days established by the Port Huron Area School District.  Each child brings their own lunch and enjoys a snack provided by one of the participants.

Kids' Day Out is a program of First Presbyterian Church.  It was established to keep costs as low as possible, without sacrificing quality elements.  A registration fee of $30 per family is due when you register your child.  The monthly fee of $55 is due the first Wednesday of each month.  A second child in a family may participate at the reduced cost of $50 per month, with no additional registration fee.  A discount is offered for families paying the annual fee during September.  We also depend on the parents to help us by supplying snacks and juice once during the year.

STAFF

Kids' Day Out is staffed by a group of very special talented individuals, each with a sincere interest in and love of young children.  All staff members have prior experience working with preschoolers in a variety of settings.  They are here to share their talents and love with your child, while they help him or her learn what it means to get along with others of different ages in a community setting.  Teachers' names, addresses, and phone numbers are listed on the Kids' Day Out roster distributed several weeks into the year.  The actual number and arrangement depend on registration, using the ratio guidelines established by the State of Michigan.

ENROLLMENT

To inquire about enrolling your child in Kids' Day Out, please call the church office at 810-985-6191 and request a registration form.  We are currently accepting registrations for the 2011- 2012 school year, which begins September 7th.