Responsive Caregiving

Being a Responsive Caregiver requires that one understands that to contribute to a child's sense of trust you must be intoned to their needs and their mode of expressing these needs.  It's important to know that children who feel safe are better able to actively explore their environments.  Sensitive, responsive care in particular, has been connected in research to cognitive, social emotional, and language development in child care settings.  Responsive care is a critical component of our curriculum, especially in the infant and toddler department.  Being sensitively responsive means reading and understanding the communication cues, verbal and nonverbal, of another individual; to do so requires an established relationship with that person.

25 years of excellence

Holland United Methodist Church assessed the growing needs of the community 25 years ago and determined that their was a need for center based program in Dubois County.  Their vision was to provide a program that focused not only on the child's social and education needs, but their spiritual development as well.

Today we continue with that vision.  We are dedicated to the education of the children in our care, while also focusing on their social development.  We are in the business of creating life long learners and the leaders of tomorrow.  We believe that the foundation for your child's future success is established well before they enter the public schools.  It begins with the secure relationships that they have with the staff within the program.  It continues to unfold as the child continues to transition through our program in a group of peers that they have been able to build a relationship with over the years.  Children learn their numbers and their letters, but most importantly they learn to respect the differences of the individuals around them. 

What every toddler needs to be socially and emotionally successfull

Here are a few simple steps that you can take to make sure you are giving your child a great start in life.

Show your love
*Smile, hug, touch, and play with your child.  This will make them feel secure with themselves and will have a huge impact on their physical, mental, and emotional development.

Care for your child's basic needs
*Make sure you are providing your child with a healthy diet.  Children should be taken to the doctor for regular check ups as well.  Keep him as comfortable as you can by making sure his diapers are clean and by providing a safe environment.

Talk with your child
*Even if you think your child is too young too understand what you are saying, it is still important to talk to them.  Studies have shown that children who are talked to more often as infants have a higher vocabulary and higher IQ scores.

Read to your child
*Reading is extremely important to help build a vocabulary.  The socialization that occurs while reading a book is very important as well.