Texas’ first Children’s Learning Adventure has officially opened their doors to the families of Pearland! This is just the beginning for Texas, be sure to keep an eye out on more locations coming soon.
Written By: Lisa Hernandez for KHOU.com
HOUSTON—As more and more families rely on two incomes to get by, the day care business is booming, and some are offering a lot of unusual perks.
In Pearland, a giant space called Children’s Learning Adventure is the latest location to open its doors here in Texas. Last weekend’s opening off of Highway 288 drew more than 500 families on the first day. The 25,000-square-foot “curriculum-stacked” learning center says it offers what parents are looking for and more.
“We have a preschool program, a pre-k program, and a half-day kindergarten prep program,” said Connie Johnson, with Children’s Learning Adventure. “Then we have our after-school programs where we go pick up children after school.”
Meredith Hill was first in line with her 3-year-old son, Beckett, and once they were inside they said they were not disappointed.
“Everything is exceeding our expectations, so much learning is gonna go on here, all the rooms are theme-based,” Hill said.
There is a science room, a media room, an indoor gymnasium, and the list goes on and on. The question is: Is it all just a little over the top?
“It certainly is important for the space to be clean, to be bright and cheerful looking,” said Dr. Cathy Guttentag, a child psychologist. “On the other hand, it doesn’t mean it needs to be real fancy.”
Guttentag, a child psychologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center Houston, says when it comes to child care, aesthetics aren’t everything.
“It’s great to have a lively fun space that’s appealing to children and parents, but make sure you look beyond that,” she said. “Make sure the engagement between teachers and children is developmentally appropriate, warm, supportive, consistent, and that teachers are actively engaging with children.”
In other words, as a parent, you don’t have to strive for all the extras. The doctor said what’s really important is good classroom organization and quality teachers.
Parents also play a big part in making sure their child feels safe, no matter where they’re enrolled.
“One thing that’s really important, spend some time getting comfortable with the teachers, getting comfortable with their new caregivers,” Guttentag said.