Openings

Infant Openings: Yes - No infant openings for evening hours or daytime hours - See exception below

Toddler Openings: No

Pre-School Openings: Yes - Evening openings after 5:30 p.m. for preschoolers until 9:30 p.m.

School-Age Openings: Yes - 1opening full time for daytime hours 6 a.m to 6 p.m.
Openings for evenings for 2 and above
Spaces available from 3 p.m. to midnight on Saturday nights for infants/toddlers also.
I do evening and Saturday childcare by availability and appointment.

Equipment

Outdoor Play Area: Yes - Very shaded, two swings, slide and climbing systems. Two playhouses

Sandbox: Yes - One large sandbox

Fenced Yard: Yes

Indoor Pets: Yes - Dog, Guinea Pig and Hamster

Outdoor Pets: No

Days/Hours

Days of the Week: Monday thru Friday

Hours: 6:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings 3:30 p.m. to midnight.Overnights available on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday
Saturdays = Appointment only
Sundays = closed

Location: Prior Lake

School District

Contact Information

More About My Family Child Care I am complimented to have you visit me here at this childcare website. I operate a small childcare service from the lower level of my home. I am located in the Prior Lake area and service families from other communities as well, such as, New Prague, Shakopee, Belle Plaine and Lakeville. I service families in traditional or daytime work hours as well as I service families in non traditional work hours. Colleen's Care-A-Lot Daycare is the name I operate under. I chose the Care Bears as the philosophy to how I operate and live and teach in childcare. If you are not aware of the Care Bears and their representations, they were originally developed by American Greeting Cards. They were designed to share greetings of good values. In doing so, the creators decided to expound on the 'Care' Bear mania and made ameutrized movies about them. In these movies, children were introduced to morals, values, feelings and much more. Care-A-Lot is the name of where the Care Bears live and it is on the other side of the Rainbow. I use the various Care Bears to teach values and morals. The Care Bears have Bears that represent many of the values and/or morals that children should come to know. There is: * I Love You Bear = expressing love and loving feelings and concepts * Harmony Bear = to teach peace and tranquility * Champ Bear = to teach good sportsmanship * Tender Heart Bear = to help express feelings * Love A Lot bear = to spread love and help it grow * Friend Bear = to teach how to be an example of a good friend * Cheer Bear = to teach how to find happines in things * Share Bear = to teach how to share * Take Care Bear = to teach good health There are new Bears also and they teach other concepts, such as: * Best Friend Bear = the importance of a special bond between two friends * Do Your Best Bear = to teach how to do your best at all things and do not give up * Smart Heart Bear = to teach that school can be and is fun * Thank a lot Bear = to teach the importance of Politeness, manners and using 'magic words' such as please and thank you. * Hope Bear = to develop a positive attitude * Work of Heart Bear = to creativity Bears like these teach simple things: * Play a Lot Bear = to teach how to play cooperatively * Shine Bright Bear = to promote dress up play and self grooming * Heart Song Bear = to teach appreciation for music The lists go on. My background and education is in Early Childhood Development. I am also trained in CPR/First Aid for Children and Adults. SIDS/Shaken Baby training and presently taking training in Special Needs, such as ADDHD and other behaviorial disorders. Working on Sign Language, ASL and Spanish. I have worked in Childcare service over the past 36 years. I have taught in the Headstart program as a Lead Teacher/Director. Directed Corporate Childcare Centers, operated in home childcare and private childcare. I have 31 years experience as a mother to three adult children, a foster parent and volunteer for childcare services thru programs for Military families. Taught in Sunday School and Bible School thru my Church. The children's environment is soley their environment and not a shared space with my family. The lower level of my home is a child's menagerie, complete with a kitchen, family area, baby room, bathroom, store room with a washer and dryer and a walkout door to a fenced in and shaded playground. I have a curriculum that I have brought together thru other curriculums I have tried in the past and some of which I have developed along the way and thru the years that continue to be effective. I like to keep the environment more 'family' like than 'school' like. We work on preschool concepts, do arts and crafts, show and tell, read, music, games and I like to cook with the children. We keep the cooking simple. I have a helper, my daughter, who is also trained and licensed with Scott County. If there are children who need childcare past the 10:30 p.m. appointed time, she will continue that care. I ask that if you are interested in childcare, please call me at the provided number, set up an appt to meet me. I feel that we should have a face to face interview in the childcare environment. During this meeting, please bring your questions. I will also provide you with a copy of my contract and go over it with you at the time of the interview. Most interviews seem to last about one hour, some longer. Thank you again for visiting me here. Colleen Other Comments: Updated 1-13-2017 Please email for trainings, accrediations and updates.