My name is Mila Neuman and I am the owner and Director of both the Riverside and King Kare-A-Lot Child Care Centers. I opened Kare-A-Lot at Riverside Drive in October of 1984. When I first opened Kare-A-Lot the center was an infant and toddler center only. At that time in 1984 there were very few center based infant and toddler programs in Franklin County. Kare-A-Lot was the first such center in Upper Arlington. In October of 2000 I opened Kare-A-Lot at King Avenue.

      I have a strong belief in the benefits that a quality early childhood program can offer young children and their families. Even children whose mothers stay at home with them will enjoy and benefit from programs that value children’s play and social interactions between children. All children regardless of whether their parents work or not, have the right to early childhood education experiences that will enrich their learning process. That is why at Kare-A-Lot we offer part time enrollment options for a limited number of children.

     I have been a teacher of young children, 3 to 9 years old, since 1967 when I graduated from high school and took a PT job as a teacher’s aide in a preschool program. I have always enjoyed being around young children so it was an obvious choice when I decided to enroll in the elementary education program at my state university. I came to Columbusto attend OSU’s graduate program in School Administration. I graduated from OSU in 1977 with a MA in Education. I have been married for 33 years and I have two grown children. Because mom was working out of the home, my children attended child care programs, school age programs and summer camps of all kinds. As a result, my boys are now very happy, successful adults.

      I invite you to visit our center and observe our program. It will be an opportunity to learn how our program works. You can look at our classrooms, browse through our literature collection, observe the teachers interacting with the children and have all your questions answered.

3164 Riverside Drive
Columbus, OH 43221
(614) 481-7532

Infants 1

     Young children thrive on consistency and routines. To feel safe, children need to be able to predict what will happen next in their lives. That is why at Kare-A-Lot we follow the same routines each day. It is also why we ask you to drop off and pick up around the same time each day. We also ask that you bring your child to the center consistently.

     Everything that we do with our children has been carefully planned with the safety and well being of all children in mind.

Infants II

     Young children thrive on consistency and rou-tines. Here at Kare-A-Lot, we follow the same routines each day and strive to keep a balance between active and quiet activities. We do this by scheduling playground and gym time opposite to story times, free play time, snacks and sensory activities. This balance allows the children to release their energies and relax.

Toddler

      In the toddler room, we follow the Step-Up-To -Quality guiding principles and course of action. All daily activities are planned with a behavioral goal in mind. All activities and curriculum are aligned to the State of Ohio Early Childhood Content Standards. We work with your child daily so she/he will improve in all areas of development at his/her own pace. Because we believe strongly in the need for children to learn how to communicate their feelings and ideas, we emphasize language development experiences.

Preschool/Pre-Kindergarten

To join our Preschool Room children must be three years of age and potty trained

3 Year Old Room

Use their large muscles
Able to engage in self-care activities

♥hand washing
♥dressing
♥toileting

Spend time at tasks they choose

♥Playing in sand
♥building with blocks

Curious

♥Vocabulary is growing rapidly between 2,000-4,000 words
♥Listen to longer stories
♥Pretend to read
♥Play along side another child
♥Friendships are beginning
♥Share
♥Wait for turns
♥Learning to trust
♥Separation from parents can still be painful

4 Year Old Room

♥Large muscles skills are more refined
♥Small muscles gain coordination
♥Able to carry over daily projects
♥Enjoy writing for purpose
♥Figuring out how things work and fit together
♥Extended conversations
♥More complex sentences
♥Interest in written and spoken language
♥Make up stories
♥Interest in others
♥Strong friendship develop
♥Take turns
♥Share
♥Curious
♥Want more responsibility
♥Can regulate own behavior
♥Can determine what is real and make believe

Kindergarten

     Is your child ready for Kindergarten? Parents of children ages 3 - 5 can join Mila and her Administrative Assistant, a Reading Specialist with a Masters of Education in Childrens' Literature for an informational meeting to help you decide if your child is emotionally, socially and intellectually ready for Kindergarten. We will have suggestions and advice for help in easing the transition from Pre-School or Pre-Kindergarten to Primary Education. Look for details posted in February!

     Kare-A-Lot Child Care Center, Inc., is a privately owned and operated child care company. Kare-A-Lot was established in 1984 and its mission is to care for and educate children 6 weeks to 9 years of age. The two Centers, one in Upper Arlington and one in Grandview, operate on a full-day, year round schedule. Our main goal is to provide challenging, fun, and age-appropriate learning experiences to young children in a safe and healthful environment. Website URL: http://www.karealot.us/ Childcare Philosophy:

♥We believe that all young children are unique, that every child develops at his/her own pace. We offer hands-on approach because children learn better by doing.
♥We believe that learning is a life-long process, that good teachers facilitate learning experiences in fun and challenging ways.
♥We believe that the family is an integral component of the learning experience.
♥We believe that trained parents will support our efforts as teachers and care givers. We offer support parent training programs.
♥We believe that each teacher is unique in their teaching style. We support and offer staff development programs. We encourage each teacher to develop their own experiences in their classrooms.
♥We believe that strong early childhood education programs must be financially stable and managed effectively and efficiently.