$10,000 grant given to local day care center

BONNERS FERRY — Friday IdahoSTARS gave Teddy Bear Daycare owner Lindsay Winn a $10,000 grant to improve the facility’s playground.

Winn said playground upgrades  will be  non-traditional, such as a hill with grass and a tunnel running through it.

“Our playground will open a whole new door for exploring and learning for our children,” Winn said.

Idaho’s State Training and Registry System’s vision is to increase the quality of early care and education programs for Idaho children.

 IdahoSTARS’ assists parents by offering childcare referrals and about quality child care setting information, according to Winn.

Winn applied for the grant in February. She received the check last week.         Playground improvements will help  children explore their  imagination, creativity and learning opportunies.

 They will plant a small orchard with fruit trees which the children will help grow and harvest. 

Winn is adding raised garden beds and children can plant, care for and harvest their own plants. The site will include a creek, lots of wildflowers, shade trees and bird feeders to attract different species of birds.

“It will offer opportunities for using the senses, fine motor development, problem solving skills, exploration, creativity, socialization, science, math, art, music, and the possibilities are endless.”

With the grant Winn will also have a music center and outdoor art center built.  

IdahoSTARS also paid for all of Winn’s education.

She has an associate’s degree in child development and is working on her bachelor’s degree in child and family relations, Winn said. 

After completing an assessment on her facility in 2007, she received a $1,500 grant from IdahoSTARS to improve materials at her previous location.

Winn said IdahoSTARS will help pay for the education of her employees as well. 

She must contribute by providing a wage increase and pay employees  to study a couple hours a day while they study at home.

“Their education is worth it to me,” said Winn.  “We can provide much more quality care with more educational background.”

Winn said IdahoSTARS offers more incentives to daycare facilities that take advantage of furthering their education.

Teddy Bear Daycare is working with IdahoSTARS’s quality rating and improvement system, Winn said.

 “This system will improve all aspects of our program with education for staff members and funding for materials.”

She wants to get parents involved and will ask for them to contribute to the planning and even  assembling of the playground. She said she hopes to have construction on the project begin in a couple weeks.

Winn is enlisting the help of Horizon Landscape for trees, and from Professional Framing and Crafting, PFC to help with construction.

To learn more about IdahoSTARS programs go to http://www.idahostars.org.