Reaching for the Stars is the title of Oklahoma’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. This system is designed to assist individual providers in improving the care and education they provide for children, raise the professional development level of child care providers, and increase parents’ awareness of the importance of positive practices in child care.
3 STAR— DHS’ HIGHEST RATING
Meet the highest level of DHS criteria with regards to licensing, documentation, staff qualifications and professional development, learning environment, family engagement, and program evaluation AND be accredited by one of the approved national accrediting agencies.
Centers: God’s Little Treasures, Children’s Lighthouse Harbor, Small Society Child Development Center
2 STAR
Meet the highest level of DHS criteria with regards to licensing, documentation, staff qualifications and professional development, learning environment, family engagement, and program evaluation.
Center: Liddle Kiddles Nursery & Daycare
During our Summer Program, our School Age lesson plan is designed around a weekly theme to have your child learn and explore new concepts. Whether they’re going back centuries to Medieval Times, learning about our American history over the Fourth of July, or taking the latest box office hit and extracting every-day lessons— our School Agers are always learning through innovative activities and hands-on experience.
Each of our School Age classrooms is equipped with a myriad of learning stations ranging from Home to Science to Music, and are all designed to enhance our students’ imagination, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills— readying them for the upcoming school year while still having a summer of fun.
During the school year, our School Agers are prepped for an engaging school day through a practiced morning routine that sets them up for success. Children are fed a delicious breakfast packed with nutrients to ready their minds to learn and grow. After school, children are taught both independence and collaboration through a mix of team-building tames, group activities, and independent play.
At Three, children are extremely inquisitive and are growing more excited to learn new things. They love to ask questions about where things come from and why they are they way they are (“Why is the sky blue?), and our classrooms are designed to engage those curiosities of the outside world. Our Three’s Program allows your child to explore as many avenues as possible, and our curriculum channels that inquisitive spirit into academic readiness.
At the age of Three, a child’s language and communication skills will begin multiplying as they are able to ask more questions about the world around them. In the classroom, our teachers practice letter recognition, identifying key words and early writing skills, and carrying conversations. Circle time includes time for active participation, engaging both their language and cognitive skills. As their inquisitive spirit prompts them to ask more questions, our teachers return the favor and allow the Three’s to gain confidence as they respond.
At the age of Two, a child’s language and communication skills are rapidly growing. Two brings the evolution of short phrases to sentences, and we often end up with a handful of chatter boxes! Our teachers use various methods to encourage each child to communicate more effectively, and are constantly giving each child the opportunity to engage in one-on-one conversation and group play (chance to recite the letters, colors, etc. at Circle Time).
Between 12 and 24 months, Toddlers begin to recognize the meaning of their words to express their wants and needs. Along with strengthening their ability to use sounds, facial expressions, and body language, Toddlers expand on the idea of repetition and begin to imitate others to grow their vocabulary and communicate with others. Our teachers encourage and stimulate this process, using common items such as flash cards and picture books, to strengthen the association between words and their meanings. As Toddlers begin to fill up their communication cup, our teachers introduce the practice of polite mannerisms by using “please” and “thank you’s.”
Our Pre-K students are masters of all things A-B-C! To prep for the language skills taught in Kindergarten, our students learn everything from recognizing uppercase and lowercase letters, identifying letters and knowing their sounds, then advancing to writing letters and ultimately words! This is the time when we start to see a vast improvement in a child’s vocabulary skills, and he or she begins to use adjectives and more complete sentences to express themselves. To put everything in to context, our teachers share stories and students learn to make connections to their own experiences.
In our Pre-K program, our children are continuously learning mathematical concepts and how they’re present in our every day life. Do we have enough blocks to all get the same amount? How long is this drive? Throughout the course of our Pre-K curriculum, students know and grasp the number sequence and become the masters of shapes and patterns, setting the foundation for addition, subtraction, and measurement.
As Toddlers grow their communication style, they are constantly absorbing information from their surroundings. Our teachers make the most of this sense of curiosity to help develop Toddlers’ cognitive skills. Through designated areas of play throughout the classroom, children are encouraged to use a variety of new materials and sensory tools to explore new concepts and begin developing creative and critical thinking skills.
Long before Infants are able to speak with words, they learn to communicate with others through facial expressions, cries, and body language. Our teachers actively respond to these cues and engage with our Infants through verbal activities such as singing and story time, and encourage them to express their own thoughts and feelings through babbling and the repetition of words.
Cognitive learning is perhaps the most exciting for Two’s because they start to realize how useful the information they retain is used. As they begin to develop problem-solving skills, they become more independent and we keep their minds stimulated with a variety of learning stations throughout the classroom!
As early as our Three’s Program, our teachers begin incorporating mathematical concepts into the classroom and use a variety of manipulative toys (snap cubes, geometry blocks) to put these concepts into practice. These exercises help children to begin to recognize numbers, patterns, shapes and sizes, and our weekly lesson plans are geared towards helping our Three’s understand and eventually master the material.
At the age of Three, a child’s language and communication skills will begin multiplying as they are able to ask more questions about the world around them. In the classroom, our teachers practice letter recognition, identifying key words and early writing skills, and carrying conversations. Circle time includes time for active participation, engaging both their language and cognitive skills. As their inquisitive spirit prompts them to ask more questions, our teachers return the favor and allow the Three’s to gain confidence as they respond.
6 weeks – 12 years
As children so often learn through observation, our teachers model the way in using fine motor skill concepts such as holding a crayon or using child-safe scissors. Three is also the bright age when children begin to use their fine and gross motor skills in tandem during learning and play. This involves learning to control and coordinate both large and small muscle movements, while also building awareness of his or her surroundings. For example, gross motor skills enable children to walk, run, and climb, but fine motor skills help them to do so with stability and confidence. Weather permitting, each classroom has a designated time in the morning and afternoon to go outside and climb on our playground equipment, ride Ride-On toys, and run, jump and enjoy the great outdoors.
The development of motor skills for Two year old’s is perhaps one of the most notable. 24-35 months is generally when children begin to feed themselves, walk, jump up and down, and participate in balancing activities. Our teachers incorporate physical activities into daily tasks, and children engage in outdoor play on age-appropriate equipment. Our teachers also set the foundation for early writing activities, demonstrating to each child the proper way to hold crayons and markers, and get fine motor participation from the Two’s by incorporating hand gestures into songs and stories.
Fine motor skills are movements involving small muscle groups such as the hand and wrist, while gross motor skills are movements related to large muscles such as the legs and arms. Helping Infants develop both of these motor skillsets is important from a young age, and our teachers employ various methods to ensure your child grows healthy and strong while in our care. We encourage and guide our Infants grab and play with sensory toys (textured balls, discovery cubes) and eventually hold their own bottles. Infants develop their larger muscle groups by observation and ultimately becoming mobile themselves. Our teachers help your little one explore how to control and coordinate these muscle groups through movement during tummy time and practicing sitting up, which leads to crawling and standing.
Students in our Pre-K Program are given the opportunity to explore science in many different ways. Our Pre-K students constantly put themselves into others’ shoes— to view different landscapes, learn about different animals, explore other galaxies— all from the comfort of our classroom. Our students learn that there are several ways to gather data and explore, and get to put those ways into practice!
Toddlers’ small and large muscle groups experience tremendous growth during 12-24 months, so our teachers are constantly introducing new tools and activities to help your child grow! As their hand and wrist muscles begin to develop, Toddlers are encouraged to use more handheld items such as paintbrushes and large crayons, work towards washing their own hands, and using a spoon to feed themselves to gain more coordination and confidence.
Toddlers are full of energy and are constantly using their large muscle groups to scurry around the classroom and outdoor play area. Our teachers encourage this movement and independence through more outdoor fun, climbing activities, and coordination-related games such as throwing & catching. Of course, children are always supervised to ensure they’re learning and playing in the safest environment possible!
Memorial Day
Labor Day
Christmas
Fourth of July
Thanksgiving
New Year’s Day
If one of the listed holidays falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the Center will be open the preceding Friday and following Monday.
As early as our Three’s Program, our teachers begin incorporating mathematical concepts into the classroom and use a variety of manipulative toys (snap cubes, geometry blocks) to put these concepts into practice. These exercises help children to begin to recognize numbers, patterns, shapes and sizes, and our weekly lesson plans are geared towards helping our Three’s understand and eventually master the material.
Having developed trust as an infant, Toddlers begin to develop even more social & emotional skills as they learn to recognize and express their feelings. Our teachers foster this expression, and encourage children to establish relationships with other Toddlers in the class. Toddlers begin to learn collaboration and teamwork through helping each other, sharing, and taking turns. Our teachers encourage our Toddlers to work through their feelings always employ the Positive Approach when giving feedback.
At four years old, children have gained a better understanding of not only their own feelings, but the feelings of those around them. Teachers begin integrating greater concepts of right and wrong, and they equip each student with the social tools to problem solve and resolve conflicts. As our Pre-K students begin to understand themselves and the world around them more clearly, teachers seek to instill positive messages and practices through example, discussion, and stories.
Infants begin to develop cognitive skills from birth. They soak in the world around them like a sponge, taking note of their surroundings. They gain confidence as they begin to recognize familiar faces, their parents’ voices, or the opening tune to their favorite lullaby. They begin to explore the world through their hands and mouths, and engage with others through sounds. Our teachers help your Infants take part in cognitive development through reading, singing of songs and nursery rhymes, playing musical instruments, and playing make-believe games like Peek-A-Boo.
Two year olds are so much fun because they start to acknowledge their own personalities, and our classrooms are set up to enhance this self-awareness through learning centers focused on imagination and creativity. Teachers facilitate dramatic play through dress-up and role-play, and this imaginative exercise helps develop new skills such as conversation and seeing other perspectives. Children are read to at least once a day, and are encouraged to reflect on the story or create their own.
Loving relationships help Infants feel trust and gain confidence, and ultimately guide children on how to form friendships and develop self-awareness. For Infants, they observe these skills through how they are treated in everyday interactions, both from parents and caregivers. Our teachers build trust with your little ones through love and special attention, catering their care to your child’s individualized needs.
With the confidence gained from their first year, young Toddlers are full of energy, independence and are ready to take on the world! Our Toddler Program is designed to accommodate perhaps one of the greatest developmental years of childhood, and our teachers are constantly helping Toddlers explore, experiment, and discover new things! Our teachers curate engaging activities that help foster the next phase of development— like our Infant Program, we focus on language, cognitive, motor, social & emotional development, but our program is tailored just right for the heightened skillset and curiosity of the young Toddler.
We accept both private paying and DHS subsidy families. Tuition varies by age of child and family’s DHS eligibility; to find out more information about tuition, please contact the center directly.
At each of our centers, children ages 5-12 years old are taken on entertaining and educational adventures! Our Summer Program is designed to be the best of both worlds—a place where children can have fun and make friends while still learning at every corner. The School Age classroom gives each child the chance to explore, discover, and achieve new things! Less structured than the Pre-K curriculum, students have more freedom to choose the activities they engage in, allowing them to explore talents, interests, or new hobbies!
Full of energy and instinctively curious, Two’s learn at a rapid rate and take in the world around them. Relationship development at this age is critical, so our teachers place a heavy emphasis on language and social skills to help give your child everything they need to grow into a happy young child. Because your Two learns and adapts so quickly, so do we! Our teachers are constantly modifying the curriculum and weekly lesson plans to best suit the skills of the class, and adjusts individual activities to each child as needed.
Our Pre-K program is the perfect place for your child to learn and grow before enrolling in Kindergarten! We recognize that a child’s readiness for school determines how equipped they are to succeed, so one of the main focuses of our Pre-K curriculum is preparing your child for entering the school system. This ranges from letter and number recognition, to holding writing utensils, to learning how to play well with others—and much more! Our curriculum is interactive and fun, but we make sure we’ve taken every step to work with our families to prepare your child for Kindergarten!
As children continue to refine their fine motor skills, you’ll begin to notice that their handwriting appears cleaner and their coloring skills seem more controlled. This opens the door for more advanced activities like coloring with pencils or using smaller manipulative blocks when building a structure. As your young ones continue to grow, so do their gross motor skills! This is often most evident on the outdoor playground, where our Pre-K students run and climb with increased precision and energy!
As children so often learn through observation, our teachers model the way in using fine motor skill concepts such as holding a crayon or using child-safe scissors. Three is also the bright age when children begin to use their fine and gross motor skills in tandem during learning and play. This involves learning to control and coordinate both large and small muscle movements, while also building awareness of his or her surroundings. For example, gross motor skills enable children to walk, run, and climb, but fine motor skills help them to do so with stability and confidence. Weather permitting, each classroom has a designated time in the morning and afternoon to go outside and climb on our playground equipment, ride Ride-On toys, and run, jump and enjoy the great outdoors.
Our Pre-K students are masters of all things A-B-C! To prep for the language skills taught in Kindergarten, our students learn everything from recognizing uppercase and lowercase letters, identifying letters and knowing their sounds, then advancing to writing letters and ultimately words! This is the time when we start to see a vast improvement in a child’s vocabulary skills, and he or she begins to use adjectives and more complete sentences to express themselves. To put everything in to context, our teachers share stories and students learn to make connections to their own experiences.
At the age of Two, a child’s language and communication skills are rapidly growing. Two brings the evolution of short phrases to sentences, and we often end up with a handful of chatter boxes! Our teachers use various methods to encourage each child to communicate more effectively, and are constantly giving each child the opportunity to engage in one-on-one conversation and group play (chance to recite the letters, colors, etc. at Circle Time).
Between 12 and 24 months, Toddlers begin to recognize the meaning of their words to express their wants and needs. Along with strengthening their ability to use sounds, facial expressions, and body language, Toddlers expand on the idea of repetition and begin to imitate others to grow their vocabulary and communicate with others. Our teachers encourage and stimulate this process, using common items such as flash cards and picture books, to strengthen the association between words and their meanings. As Toddlers begin to fill up their communication cup, our teachers introduce the practice of polite mannerisms by using “please” and “thank you’s.”
During our Summer Program, our School Age lesson plan is designed around a weekly theme to have your child learn and explore new concepts. Whether they’re going back centuries to Medieval Times, learning about our American history over the Fourth of July, or taking the latest box office hit and extracting every-day lessons— our School Agers are always learning through innovative activities and hands-on experience.
Each of our School Age classrooms is equipped with a myriad of learning stations ranging from Home to Science to Music, and are all designed to enhance our students’ imagination, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills— readying them for the upcoming school year while still having a summer of fun.
During the school year, our School Agers are prepped for an engaging school day through a practiced morning routine that sets them up for success. Children are fed a delicious breakfast packed with nutrients to ready their minds to learn and grow. After school, children are taught both independence and collaboration through a mix of team-building tames, group activities, and independent play.
Communication between parents and our staff is of the upmost importance to us. Our teachers actively share information with you regarding your Infant’s temperament, activities, and milestone achievements to ensure you’re 100% up to speed and to get your input. Daily reports are always available at pick-up to keep you in-the-know regarding your child’s diapering, eating, and sleeping habits throughout the day. We always maintain an Open Door policy so that parents can see first-hand the care and attention your child receives, and welcome a visit from you anytime!
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Cognitive learning is perhaps the most exciting for Two’s because they start to realize how useful the information they retain is used. As they begin to develop problem-solving skills, they become more independent and we keep their minds stimulated with a variety of learning stations throughout the classroom!
In our Pre-K program, our children are continuously learning mathematical concepts and how they’re present in our every day life. Do we have enough blocks to all get the same amount? How long is this drive? Throughout the course of our Pre-K curriculum, students know and grasp the number sequence and become the masters of shapes and patterns, setting the foundation for addition, subtraction, and measurement.
Between a system of cameras throughout the center and security alarms on all exterior doors, our entire school is comprehensively monitored around the clock. We pride ourselves on maintaining a safe and secure learning environment and welcome any questions you may have!
As Toddlers grow their communication style, they are constantly absorbing information from their surroundings. Our teachers make the most of this sense of curiosity to help develop Toddlers’ cognitive skills. Through designated areas of play throughout the classroom, children are encouraged to use a variety of new materials and sensory tools to explore new concepts and begin developing creative and critical thinking skills.
Students in our Pre-K Program are given the opportunity to explore science in many different ways. Our Pre-K students constantly put themselves into others’ shoes— to view different landscapes, learn about different animals, explore other galaxies— all from the comfort of our classroom. Our students learn that there are several ways to gather data and explore, and get to put those ways into practice!
Safety is always our first priority and our Centers have many safety procedures in place to protect children. At each Center, our campuses are designed so that the main office is the only point of entry, the office is supervised by the Director or staff member at all times to ensure no unauthorized individuals enter the building.
At Children’s Lighthouse Harbor (Moore) and God’s Little Treasures (NW OKC), both main offices are equipped with automatic door locking mechanisms. All individuals who enter the building must be buzzed in by the Director or supervising staff member, ensuring that all who enter are authorized.
At Small Society Child Development Center in Del City, the main building is also equipped with a keyless entry pad on the main entrance to limit access to the facility by first-time visitors. Upon enrolling your child, you will receive a code to enter the building.
At all of our Centers, the pick-up of children in our care is only granted to individuals authorized by the parent. If you have notified us that a friend or family member will be picking up your child, he or she will be asked for identification to verify their identity.
The development of motor skills for Two year old’s is perhaps one of the most notable. 24-35 months is generally when children begin to feed themselves, walk, jump up and down, and participate in balancing activities. Our teachers incorporate physical activities into daily tasks, and children engage in outdoor play on age-appropriate equipment. Our teachers also set the foundation for early writing activities, demonstrating to each child the proper way to hold crayons and markers, and get fine motor participation from the Two’s by incorporating hand gestures into songs and stories.
Toddlers’ small and large muscle groups experience tremendous growth during 12-24 months, so our teachers are constantly introducing new tools and activities to help your child grow! As their hand and wrist muscles begin to develop, Toddlers are encouraged to use more handheld items such as paintbrushes and large crayons, work towards washing their own hands, and using a spoon to feed themselves to gain more coordination and confidence.
Toddlers are full of energy and are constantly using their large muscle groups to scurry around the classroom and outdoor play area. Our teachers encourage this movement and independence through more outdoor fun, climbing activities, and coordination-related games such as throwing & catching. Of course, children are always supervised to ensure they’re learning and playing in the safest environment possible!
Two year olds are so much fun because they start to acknowledge their own personalities, and our classrooms are set up to enhance this self-awareness through learning centers focused on imagination and creativity. Teachers facilitate dramatic play through dress-up and role-play, and this imaginative exercise helps develop new skills such as conversation and seeing other perspectives. Children are read to at least once a day, and are encouraged to reflect on the story or create their own.
Having developed trust as an infant, Toddlers begin to develop even more social & emotional skills as they learn to recognize and express their feelings. Our teachers foster this expression, and encourage children to establish relationships with other Toddlers in the class. Toddlers begin to learn collaboration and teamwork through helping each other, sharing, and taking turns. Our teachers encourage our Toddlers to work through their feelings always employ the Positive Approach when giving feedback.
At four years old, children have gained a better understanding of not only their own feelings, but the feelings of those around them. Teachers begin integrating greater concepts of right and wrong, and they equip each student with the social tools to problem solve and resolve conflicts. As our Pre-K students begin to understand themselves and the world around them more clearly, teachers seek to instill positive messages and practices through example, discussion, and stories.
Each of our centers are equipped with cameras for the Director’s use in monitoring the classrooms, playground, and common areas, and a multi-room display in housed in the main office. For the protection and privacy of the children, there is no streaming video on our website.
As children continue to refine their fine motor skills, you’ll begin to notice that their handwriting appears cleaner and their coloring skills seem more controlled. This opens the door for more advanced activities like coloring with pencils or using smaller manipulative blocks when building a structure. As your young ones continue to grow, so do their gross motor skills! This is often most evident on the outdoor playground, where our Pre-K students run and climb with increased precision and energy!
All staff responsible for the transportation of children complete Child Passenger Safety Training from an OPDR-approved (Oklahoma Professional Development Registry) source, in addition to Vehicle Safety Training. Our vehicles are manufactured to the federal motor vehicle safety standards, and professional maintenance inspections are conducted at least quarterly.
To ensure that no child is left behind, two independent roll-sheet checks are performed at the end of each trip.
No. Each of our Centers provides a nutritious (and delicious!) breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack for all children in our care.* Our menus are created following CACFP (Oklahoma Child Nutrition Program) and USDA guidelines and we cook foods that are child-tested and approved!
*
We offer non-GMO formula free-of-charge. If you have a brand preference or medical accommodation, you are welcome to bring breast milk or formula of choice for your infant.
No. As we provide food service for all children, we generally do not allow children to bring food into the Center.
Menu exceptions are allowed for children with documented religious or medical reasons. If a special diet is required, please contact your local Center’s director about supplying the necessary food.
Staff at all of our Centers are required to meet and/or exceed Oklahoma state qualification standards for childcare providers. All staff members have completed state and federal background checks prior to employment, and no less than 3 references are verified.
All staff complete at least 20 hours of childcare-related training each year, and we also provide our staff with ongoing trainings and up-to-date CPR and First Aid certifications. First Aid is taught by a state-approved agency, so you can feel confident that your child is safe and receiving the best care possible!
The ratio in each classroom follows the requirements issued by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Please contact your local Center for more information for your child’s specific age group.
We believe that discipline is best framed through positive reinforcement, helpful guidance, and mutual respect. It is not founded in strict punishments, isolation, or harsh restrictions, but through modelling the way for children to resolve issues independently or through cooperating with others. At our Centers, challenging behaviors are treated are learning opportunities, and our staff know that it’s part of our role to help your children learn to be successful!
*Unless otherwise noted, answers apply to all locations.