Skip-A-Long Child Development Services is a nationally accredited child care organization that provides high quality affordable child care, in both a center and small home setting, aimed at helping ALL children realize their fullest potential, while providing parents with the peace of mind that enables them to focus and succeed in their careers.
As we believe all families should have the opportunity for high quality child care, our services are made accessible thru a sliding scale fee according to income and family size. We operate two nationally accredited child care centers, Rainbow Children’s Campus in Rock Island, and Skip-A-Long Day Care in Moline, a summer satellite program for school-age children at Trinity Lutheran Church in Moline, and a Home Child Care Network which is an affiliation of private child care homes throughout the Quad Cities.
We serve children ages 6 weeks to 12 years old, Monday thru Friday, 6:30 to 5:30 at our centers, while our homes set their own hours, with many offering 1st, 2nd, and 3rd shift, weekend, and holiday care. The small setting in the homes also make them optimal for infants/toddlers, special needs children, and multiple siblings. Their geographic diversity are an added bonus for busy parents.
Skip-A-Long Child Development Services was founded in 1970 by local citizens concerned about the quality of child care available to the working poor. The goal was to provide the highest quality child care possible, at a price that that would make it accessible to all Quad City families. More than thirty years later we are still delivering on this promise, helping families help themselves by providing high quality reliable child care. We have grown from serving 18 children in a church basement to serving over 882 children annually. Our growth has been fueled by the incredible demand for our services as two working parents, single parent households, and Welfare reform have created an increasing need for high quality affordable child care.
We serve children from every economic background, though a priority for placement is given to low-income children. With all the demands placed on families today, especially for high risk families, single parents and families in poverty, we provide care for many children who might not otherwise receive daily nurturing care, nutritious meals or developmentally appropriate activities. Because so much of what our children experience at home and elsewhere affects their well being, we offer a specialize approach that provides services to our families as a whole. Each center has a Family Service Provider that is there to offer personal individual attention to each family regarding enrollment, bussing, fee scale and fee assistance, and classroom promotions, as well as offering information on programs for special needs children, community resources, counseling, developmental/hearing/vision testing, emergency financial assistance, etc. We believe this comprehensive approach decreases family stress and is a significant piece of child abuse and delinquency prevention services.
We pride ourselves on our excellent teaching staff, their extensive training and their dedication to our children. Our turn over is incredible low for the day care industry, with our staff having an average tenure of 8 years - and with many of our senior staff having been here for 10, 20 and even 25 years. Our programs involve small and gross motor skill development, language development, social skills, math and reading skill, computer literacy, natural and biological sciences, and kindergarten readiness programs. We provide plenty of outdoor time with some of the best child care playgrounds in the Quad Cities and offer a comprehensive summer programs that involves music education, swimming, tennis, art, and visits to museums, parks, zoo, plays, and restaurants. Skip-A-Long staff know that in order for learning to be positive it must also be fun.
All of our centers are 100% accredited by the National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), which sets the standards for high quality child care nation wide. Less than 15% of all child care centers nationwide have earned this honor which requires a year long self examination and approval by a nationally certified NAEYC validator. In addition, outcomes measurements, tracked for the United Way, have statistically proven that children that come thru the Skip-A-Long program are well prepared for success in kindergarten.
Child care is our business, but children are our heart. Every aspect of what we do on the state, regional, and local level, is aimed at improving the quality of child care to the benefit of the children and families we serve. It is a testament to our center that many parents who were once children here themselves, bring their children, and even their grandchildren here for care.
lwalker@skip-a-long.com
www.skip-a-long.com
