|
I met Jim Fife in 1983 in Providence, RI. We married in 1993 and in 1998 Alicia made her appearance. I decided to quit my job as a recording studio manager to stay at home with my new baby for the first year. At Alicia’s first birthday party I mentioned to a couple of PEPS (Program for Early Parent Support) friends that I might start a daycare. Shortly thereafter those friends became clients and Adventure Day Care came into existence. Jim is a Mechanical Engineer. He works full time outside of the daycare. However, all the kids know him and he is available to either assist me or substitute for me in an emergency. Through five years in this business he has stood in for me so I could keep several early morning dental appointments and one emergency room visit for an on-the-job eye injury. Jim also covers me from 7:30 AM – 7:45 AM on Mondays and Wednesdays, allowing me to attend yoga classes.
We believe that children should stay at home with a parent for as long as is possible for the family. I like family home child care for young children because I think they benefit from the sights, sounds, and age differences in a home environment.
Casey: My wife Nykki and I both work with Kathy at Adventure Day Care. Before moving to Seattle in 2007 we lived and went to school in Ashland, Oregon where we met while studying theater. Our goal is to open our own day care someday. I have been with Adventure for two years. I am constantly amazed at the way children are able to learn so rapidly in the first few years of life. At Adventure we do our best to make sure our children get the best experience out of each and every day. This means making sure they get a healthy amount of rest, exercise, nutrition, and social interaction. We also provide every opportunity for them to learn new things every day. We accomplish this through story time, play time, art time, and our daily meal time routine. We also have weekly guest instructors in music and Spanish. Throughout the year, we take our kids on field trips to Seattle Symphony, Pacific Science Center, Seattle Zoo, and The Children’s Museum… just to name a few. When a child is less than a year old it’s hard to imagine a time when they won’t be a baby. I’ve seen so many kids develop personalities during amazingly brief intervals of time. Before you know it they really are walking, talking, and telling the adults what to do! We prepare our kids for their next phase of life as best we can during the short time they are in our care. Our kids really do excel socially and cognitively, and I am proud of each and every one of them.
Nykki Bates
In early 2007 Casey and I moved to the Emerald City, where I was lucky enough to find Kathy and Adventure Day Care right away. As of September 2009, I will have worked with Kathy and the mobile wonders that are our kids for an enjoyable 2 1/2 years. I have found delight and freedom working with children. My goal is to provide each child in my care with a friend, playmate, role model and protector. Each child is different, with differing needs and desires. I try to allow each child to grow and learn at their own pace. In my time at Adventure Day Care, I am continually awed by how much I learn from the children. They teach me almost as much as I try to teach them. Every child is a wonder and a treasure, and I am so grateful to be a part of their lives.
Dana Sanders  I was born and raised in Austin, TX. I have a B.A. in International Studies, with a focus on Latin America and Spanish, as well as a minor in Theatre. My last year in college, I was the service coordinator for 80+ students who performed over 1,000 volunteer hours in the Greater Austin area. I moved to Seattle 5 years ago and have been working in IT and business intelligence positions while moonlighting as a babysitter for several local families. I met Kathy through my Aunt, who teaches Spanish at the day care. My cousin was one of Kathy's first kids! Like my Aunt, I am bilingual and regularly speak to the children in Spanish. I am trained as a white water rafting guide, LOVE to swim, and go sailing with friends in my spare time. After years of computer work, being a part of Adventure Day Care is refreshingly fulfilling! Each day with the children reminds me of Khalil Gibran's words: "Work is love made visible." No professional accolades can compete with a beaming baby waiting for me to walk in the front door! I am currently working towards a certification in Radiologic Technology and am looking forward to stomping in Autumn rain puddles with my galoshes and miniature enthusiasts by my side.
Program Description
Some Additional Program Information
RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES: We are pretty low-key about religious activities at Adventure. Prayers before meals are not part of our regular routine. If, however, a child initiated prayer we would respect his desire and sit quietly while the child prayed. We recognize the pop-culture aspects of the major Christian holidays (Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny). We sing Hanukkah songs and play the dreidle game. We talk about many cultures, religions and beliefs. We hang banners for Vietnamese Tet. We teach acceptance and tolerance of all people regardless of their beliefs. Several of the children's songs we listen to reference heaven, Noah's ark, and other stories from the Bible.
CORPORAL PUNISHMENT: Corporal punishment of any kind for any reason or under any circumstances is not allowed at Adventure. Parents may not spank, slap, yell at or threaten any child, including their own child, while at Adventure. WEAPONS POLICY: No guns or ammunition of any type are stored
or permitted on the property. |
I
(Kathy Yasi) have a B.S. in Human Service Administration from
Lesley College in Cambridge, MA. I am current in all the required
training for my childcare license. I am in the process of having
the daycare accredited through the National Family Child Care
Association. [
Alicia is six. She is in first grade in September of 2004. She
has mixed feelings about the whole day care arrangement. She loves
the kids and looks forward to seeing them in the morning. On days
that she doesn’t have school she is likely to play and dance
with the younger children. She often reads to them and plays “ballerina”
or “horses” or “school”. After school, though,
she wants more of my attention than is usually available to her.
By 5:30 PM she may open the door and ask parents to take the children
home.
Hi. I’m Nykki. I grew up in Alaska, and upon high school graduation, moved to Ashland, Oregon to attend Southern Oregon University. I spent the next decade there. In the course of my time there, I met and (after graduation) married my husband (Casey), as well as working for the Oregon Shakespeare Festival in their costume shop. By the end of my 2nd season at OSF, Casey and I were ready for a change from the small town wonder that is Ashland, OR, and chose Seattle for our big town adventure.
Research shows that movement is vital to neural development. Natural play and movement help carve out neural pathways for cognitive development, language acquisition, problem solving, thinking, planning, recall and creativity. At Adventure Day Care we play hard. Activities are active, hands-on, messy, three-dimensional, self-directed, creative, physical and social. Relationships are our first priority; how we relate to ourselves, to others and to our environment. We carefully nurture qualities of curiosity, sensory awareness, concentration, and compassion so that the children may feel a deep sense of acceptance towards themselves and others. We design our days to include time for listening, touching, observing, tasting and smelling. We teach recycling and reusing. We like bugs. We go outside in all but the worst weather.
In the best weather we are outside a good part of the day. We serve wholesome, mostly vegetarian foods. Although we are not teaching another language, most days include a foreign language experience to expose the children to a variety of sounds. Several times per year we schedule field trips. We walk through the neighborhood often. Television and video are not part of our regular routine.
PETS: Adventure Day Care is the home of one large, friendly,
shy cat and one bold and adventurous young cat. They are usually
in separate areas from the children and are healthy and up-to-date
with shots. In "off" hours they roam in areas where
the children play during the day.
BACK-UP DAY CARE We recommend that you have access to alternative
childcare. You may need care if I am ill and when I am on vacation.
If I am ill you will be notified as soon as possible so that you
can make other arrangements. I will also notify you when my child
is sick so that you can make the decision whether to send your
child. It is always your responsibility to find back-up childcare.
For a childcare referral, please call: Child Care Resources at
(206) 461-3207