This story originally appeared in Milford Live.
by Terry Rogers
Chief Administrator Aretha Kitson is excited to open a new daycare facility in the Milford Wellness Village. The facility held open houses on August 27 and September 3 to introduce the new facility to Milford residents in need of quality daycare.
“Milford is growing and we saw a need for quality care,” Kitson said. “Although we will serve the entire community, a certain number of slots in our daycare will be reserved for the Milford Wellness Village staff. We will offer care and learning for infants to pre-school as well as after-school care.”
Kidz Ink opened their first early education center in 1999 and has been serving the Delaware community for over 20 years. Kitson explained that the best part about operating a daycare center is watching children grow and flourish. She also pointed out that there are significant challenges to operating a center like Kidz Ink.
“As you know, this is a very challenging time for everyone, but especially for childcare,” Kitson said. “We, too, are on the frontline serving our families so they are able to work. We have reduced ratios, our team wears masks, we screen our team and every child that enters the building. We provide hand sanitizer and each location is equipped with a sanitizing fogger. I think the most difficult thing is not allowing parents to drop off their child in their classroom.”
Kidz Ink has three locations in Bear, one in Dover and one in Smyrna. All locations offer a secure entrance that prevents unauthorized access into classroom areas. In addition, the Director’s Office in each location is located adjacent to the lobby and is open to parents at all times should they have questions or concerns.Using a curriculum called Core Knowledge, Kidz Ink offers a strong foundation to young children in order to prepare them for elementary school. The program is similar to what is used at Newark Charter School. One advantage to locating their facility in an extended-care facility is that there is evidence that interaction between senior citizens and children is beneficial to both age groups.
“We hope to open sometime in the month of September,” Kitson said. “Our hours will be from 6 AM until 6 PM, catering to working professional parents.”
Each location also offers an indoor playroom and outdoor playground to keep children active. Anyone interested in touring the facility or learning more about the programs offered at Kidz Ink can call 302-838-5400.