It is our mission to provide quality, developmentally-appropriate, affordable care for children and to meet the needs of each child in a safe, healthy, home-like environment.

Our Special Touch: Thomas Learning Centers is a small, locally owned company where you can always get hold of the boss. We offer the best of both worlds… highly trained staff in an atmosphere that feels like home.

Our qualified staff provides developmentally-appropriate learning experiences that are challenging and fun. Your child will grow and play in an atmosphere that combines the best of home and Center care - small groups with fun toys and equipment - the security and reliability of licensed Center care with the flexibility and personality you will love.

Your child may be the first one in your family ever to go to an early care and education Center. If that's true, a few words about our Centers and the ideas behind them may interest you.

Our staff does their very best to give high quality care. We look after your youngster with the same warm concern that you would. We are standing in your place while you are on your job, so quality care, the kind you would give, is a very serious obligation.

We agree with childhood development expert, Jean Piaget: "Play is the serious business of childhood" and strive every day to provide your child with the opportunity to participate in child-initiated, structured activities in these areas: language, math/science, arts, crafts, music/movement, gross and fine motor skills, blocks and manipulative toys, and dramatic play. As your child plays in a water table, she learns the principles of buoyancy and measurement. Block play teaches spatial concepts. Listening to stories builds reading readiness skills. Arts and crafts increase creativity and decision making along with self-esteem. Dramatic play builds social skills and practice for living in the adult world. So you can see, what looks like play is really structured learning.

Providing food and enough rest are also a part of this quality care. We prepare a well-balanced, nutritious breakfast, lunch and snack each day. Planning the day so children don't get too tired is a part of it. Being alert to prevent hurts and accidents is also very important. Comforting children when something goes wrong - just as you would do - is always a priority.

While you are busy at your job, you won't have much chance to see what actually goes on day after day. Of course, any time you are free to visit, by all means, do. When you do, you will be pleased with what goes on. You will see the children busy with their friends.

The children talk a lot as they play together. They look at books and pictures and exhibits in the room. They listen to stories. They work on puzzles. They take trips. They paint. They work with clay and blocks. They pretend and make believe.

One thing you can count on… if your child's bad moments in the group outweigh the good ones too often, the staff will be sure to tell you - and you must return the favor. Sharing information in a children's Center isn't always easy, since you and the staff are both busy. But communication is important and something we are committed to.

The fact that your child is at Thomas Learning Centers means that now your child has two sets of caring people, both of whom want the days to go well.