Welcome To The Lakeview Day Care Center in Waterloo, IL
Children First Learning Center – Lakeview in Waterloo, IL was where it all started; our very first location, which opened as Children First in 2010. Due to our excellent teachers and local trusted service, we have expanded this Waterloo IL Day Care Center not once, but twice! The first time adding 40 child spots and again adding 30 more. This building is our largest of all three child care centers.
Children First Program Coordinator, Tessa Springer
My name is Tessa Springer, Program Director, at Children First Learning Center. I have worked with Children First since March 2019 and I couldn’t be happier! I live in Waterloo, IL with my husband, Mark and our 6 children, 2 dogs and 2 cats! Life is always a little crazy in our home!
I graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with Bachelors Degrees in Psychology and Criminal Justice and later graduated with Masters Degrees in School Counseling and Professional Counseling. I love watching the children develop and grow throughout these most important years of their lives! I greatly value the partnership with parents and families within our center and have truly learned that it really does take a village to raise a child! I’m continually honored to be a part of the village for many children in our community!
Lakeview Director, Samantha Diel
Hello Everyone! My name is Samantha Diel. I am one of the Director’s here at our Lakeview location! I have been employed by Children First Learning Center since May of 2015! I hold an associates degree in Early Childhood Education. My love and passion for children shines through in everything I do!
I went to school, graduated, and grew up with my family here in Waterloo. I live with my husband T.J., son Dylan and our 2 dogs Phoebe and Dozer. In my free time, I enjoy shopping, going on trips with my husband and son, and spending time with my family.
Lakeview Director, Julia Sheridan
Hello! My name is Julia. I am a mom of a teenage daughter named Geralyn. We live in Baldwin with our dog, cat and snake. She is my world and keeps me busy! I have always had a desire to work with children from working in the NICU at St Louis Children’s Hospital for a combined 5 years to teaching PreK for 15+ years with more than 5 of those years being for CFLC Lakeview! I came back to the director role in 2021 and have been so glad to come back to my “family”. I had no idea I would love working from this side of the desk but I do! Getting to greet each and every family as they are coming in at the start of the day and saying good-bye warms my heart! I am so happy to be a part of this family and to be a part of yours. Getting to watch your kiddos grow is just an added bonus!
So, welcome to Children First Learning Center, and thanks for letting us love your children!
Lakeview Center Child Care Programs
Infant Day Care
This infant room cares for our oldest infants, typically ranging in age from 7-8 Months through 13-15 months old.
We are so excited to welcome you to our Children First family! Bringing your baby to a childcare setting every day can be overwhelming. Most of us here at Children First are also parents and we relate in so many ways to all of the emotions that can come along with this transition. Our team of directors and teachers are all here to help not only your child, but also YOU feel confident and happy with your decision in childcare. Our Lakeview Day Care Center location has three infant rooms.
Our first infant room (Infant 1) cares for our littlest infants, typically ranging from 6-8 weeks through 4-6 months, depending on development and individual needs of the child. Our second infant room cares for children typically ranging from 4-6 months through 7-8 months. The transition to Infant 2 should be a pretty seamless transition for your child. Most of their daily routine will be the same. All of our infants see our team of infant teachers regularly, so the new faces shouldn’t come as a big surprise for them either. The advantage to this transition is that they will be introduced to new developmental resources while spending the majority of their day with other infants close in age and development. They also get to spend more time exploring outside, which is a huge bonus! Our Infant 3 room is adjoined with our infant 2 room and cares for our oldes infants, ranging in age from about 7-8 months through 13-15 months old.
Toddler Day Care
Everything that happens in a child’s life is meaningful and this age is no different! Lakeview has two toddlers rooms, caring for children aged 15-24 months. We fondly refer to our toddlers as wobblers for the sweet little way they tend to get around. For this reason, our youngest toddler room is referred to as the “Wobbler” room.
Social/Emotional development continues to drastically develop in these little ones. They begin to assert their independence; while they are still very dependent on their teachers. Our teachers understand that these children have not yet developed to a point where they can remember rules. Repetition, redirection and rewards are an important part of our program at this age. Learning and developing language skills through both sign language and verbal communication are also a huge part of our wobbler and toddler program.
Two Year Old Day Care
This is such a special age at our Waterloo child care center. This age is characterized by a lot of behavior modeling and big imaginations! This age can sometimes be characterized as a tough age, but at Children First we are up for the challenge! By establishing good routines and providing an enriching environment we can help them learn how to grow and develop in a positive way. Two year olds are ready for independence and our teachers will help them express their feelings and needs; learn how to coordinate and use their large and small muscles for even more complex tasks; and learn the many different skills to prepare for preschool.
Waterloo IL Pre-School
Our Lakeview location has two Waterloo IL preschool classrooms. Our teachers plan their day based around The Creative Curriculum. This curriculum offers a child centered classroom that aligns directly with The Illinois State Board of Education’s Early Learning Standards
https://www.isbe.net/Documents/early_learning_standards.pdf
We believe that a solid educational foundation should include cognitive, physical & social-emotional development. With this foundation, children will become more successful in their future education. Quarterly progress reports are conducted and shared with families. If at any time there is a concern in the development progress of your child or with kindergarten readiness, we aid and assist families with further therapeutic intervention alongside the school district.
Children have an opportunity to engage in activities which promote social interaction and life skills. Examples include, self-serve lunch, leadership roles within the classroom and special daily jobs. Additionally, the children will spend time during the day in centers where they have the chance to explore all areas of learning.
What Parents Have To Say
“We love Children First! The staff is friendly and teachers are knowledgeable and care genuinely for our kids. My children participate in many hands-on activities throughout the day; they do not just sit and watch TV or movies as I’ve witnessed in other centers (in fact, that is only used as a special, once-in-a-while treat or reward). I receive many posts/pictures daily of what my kids are learning and I’ve seen them apply what they’ve learned at home. The center is always clean and I regularly witness the teachers sweeping, mopping, and wiping down tables. Highly recommend!”
Schedule an in-person tour of Children’s First Learning Center at Lakeview!
If you’re looking for more information and/or are ready to schedule an in-person tour of our Lakeview location in Waterloo IL, please fill out the form below or call us at your earliest convenience (618) 939-9776.