05 Apr 2017

SKIP-A-LONG CHILD DEVELOPMENT SERVICES TO HOST PINWHEEL “GARDEN” CEREMONIES IN SUPPORT OF CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION MONTH

By Liz Dierolf

Skip-a-Long Child Development Services believes all children can reach their full potential when given the chance to learn and grow with high quality early care and education. In collaboration with Child Abuse Council of the Quad Cities, four Skip-a-Long centers will “plant” blue pinwheel gardens to recognize early childhood educators’ roles in making sure children have safe, happy childhoods.

08 Aug 2016

Public Invited to attend a free Prosperity Summit, Friday, August 19th, St. Paul Lutheran Church, Davenport, 8:00am – 12:00pm

By Liz Dierolf

 

Finding solutions that work to get and keep people out of poverty are important to all of us:  Human Service Agencies, Educators, Business Persons, the Faith-based Community, Elected Officials, and Workforce Development Organizations. ...

08 Apr 2016

Blue Pinwheel Gardens at Skip-a-Long Child Development Services

By Liz Dierolf

Raise Awareness of Child Abuse in the Quad Cities

Skip-a-Long Child Development Services is teaming up with the Child Abuse Council to plant pinwheel gardens to raise awareness and promote joyful, healthy childhoods around the Quad Ci...

01 Jun 2015

Skip-a-Long Announces Acquisition of Four Just Kids, Inc. Child Care Centers

By Liz Dierolf

Skip-a-Long Family and Community Services is pleased to announce that Just Kids, Inc. will be joining our family!  As of July 1, 2015, Skip-a-Long will be assuming management and financial responsibility of all four Milan, IL-based Just Kids child care centers, and will continue to operate high-quality early care and education services at the Just Kids and existing three Skip-a-Long centers.


After more than a year-long process, Skip-a-Long Family and Community Services was chosen by Just Kids to take on the four child care centers, and the inclusion of Just Kids will solidify Skip-a-Long as the largest early care and education organization in the Quad Cities.  Employees of both agencies will remain on staff to provide the excellence in care our families need, and families at the Just Kids locations will be able to take advantage of additional services Skip-a-Long offers - bussing to and from schools for school-age children and assistance finding high-quality home child care providers through the Home Child Care Network if non-traditional hours of care are needed.


In times of uncertain funding at the state level, Skip-a-Long Family and Community Services is building on a strong organizational foundation to serve more children and families in the Quad Cities and surrounding communities.  Skip-a-Long is able to provide a financially stable infrastructure that will support what will become seven Skip-a-Long Child Development Services centers.  All locations, along with our other programs, will continue to maintain excellence of quality in early care and education.
02 Feb 2015

Two Skip-a-Long Child Care Centers Receive Highest Quality Rating in IL

By Liz Dierolf

SKIP-A-LONG CHILD DEV SERV-MOLINE CAMPUS RECEIVES EXCELERATE ILLINOIS GOLD CIRCLE OF QUALITY DESIGNATION

Shows Continuous Quality Improvement Commitment to Children in Moline and Rock Island

Moline, Illinois - January 21, 2015 - Skip-A-Long Child Dev Serv-Moline Campus and Rock Island Campus both received the Gold Circle of Quality designation from ExceleRate Illinois, the state's new quality rating and improvement system for early learning and development providers.

"Every early learning and development provider who participates in ExceleRate Illinois makes quality a priority,"
said Theresa Hawley, executive director, Governor's Office of Early Childhood Development. "The higher the
designation, the higher the program's demonstrated quality and comprehensiveness in meeting children's early learning needs," she said.

"We are proud to receive the Gold Circle of Quality," said Julie Allen, Skip-A-Long Child Dev Serv-Moline Campus. "Providing quality in early learning and development will help our children in Moline be better prepared for success in school and in life."

ExceleRate Illinois helps families make more informed choices about their children's early learning. It establishes standards to help infants, toddlers and preschoolers develop intellectually, physically, socially and emotionally. Additionally, it provides a framework for early learning and development professionals to identify opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills.

Research in science and brain development shows that children who are more meaningfully engaged in early
learning experiences from infancy through the first five years of life are more likely to be successful in school and in life. With the right engagement, children can form a healthy foundation of neural pathways in the brain, which impact their ability to think, react, process and grow.

ExceleRate Illinois is a comprehensive system that includes Licensed Child Care Centers, Preschool for All and Center-Based Prevention Initiative Programs, Head Start and Early Head Start Programs. Licensed Family and Group Child Care Homes will be included next year.

For more information or to find a Child Care Resource & Referral Agency in your area, visit:
www.ExceleRateIllinois.com.

ExceleRate Illinois is administered through INCCRRA under the joint direction of the Governor's Office of Early
Childhood Development, the Illinois Department of Human Services, and the Illinois State Board of Education.

# # #

16 Jan 2015

OUR MOLINE CLASSROOM EXPANSION PROJECT IS NOW COMPLETE!

By Liz Dierolf
Recognizing a growing need, Skip-a-Long Child Development Services has made an investment in our community's families and has expanded our Moline child care center to include two additional classrooms!
Why is the center adding more classrooms?

The Moline Skip-a-Long child care center has noticed a significant increase in the need for care of 18-36 month old children, and has made this investment as part of the program's mission to make sure ALL children in the Quad Cities area have a great start to being prepared for success in school and in life.

Thanks to the hard work of Estes Construction and Koehler Electric, the project broke ground at the end of July, 2014 and was completed and began serving children in December, 2014!

Please join us for a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house to tour our new classrooms and see the children enjoying their new learning environment! Opportunities for photos and video of our center's children in the classrooms will be available. Our Chief Executive Officer - Marcy Mendenhall and our center's director - Julie Allen will be available for comments.

WHAT: Open House and Chamber of Commerce Ribbon-Cutting
WHERE: Skip-a-Long Child Development Services - 4800 60th St., Moline, IL
WHEN: Tuesday, January 27th, 2015
TIME: Open House - 9:00am to 11:00am
10:00am - Remarks by: Scott Raes - Mayor of Moline
Teresa Woodworth - Skip-a-Long Board Chair
Chamber of Commerce Ribbon-Cutting

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