Kidz Korner Celebrates One Year in Community

Come September 1, many people are preparing for the four-day holiday weekend. They are heading to the grocery store to stock up on hot dogs and burgers for grilling. They could be jumping and splashing in the pool and tossing bean bags. Perhaps some people are taking a mini-vacation away.

But Tiffany Farkas has more important things on her mind. Yes she may sneak a dog or burger from the grill, but her main focus is celebrating the anniversary of her children. 

And she has a lot. About 120. But they are not all her biological children. They are the children enrolled at in Channahon. And on September 1, it will be a year that the school has been serving children in the and area.

“This is a great place. My kids have been coming here since January,” said Jacobs. “My kids love it. They are in a place that I don’t have to worry about them," Karla Jacobs said.

Jacobs, of Channahon, brings her 4 1/2 year old son Brendyn and 2 1/2 year old daughter Bryanna to Kidz Korner.

An end-of-the year barbecue for the children and their families will be held to celebrate going back to school and the facility's first anniversary.

“We are here to make families happy,” said Kristi Gottschild, assistant director of Kidz Korner.

A Dream Come True

Farkas previously worked at a daycare facility and once ran a private Kindergarten program. She always had the dream to one day open and direct her own facility. Four years ago, she started brainstorming the idea when her sister, who lives in Channahon, was trying to find a daycare center in the area without having to travel far. Her options were very minimal.

So with the help of her parents, Farkas was able to open the school. And that’s where Gottschild comes in.

Gottschild was Farkas nephew’s preschool teacher and later a neighbor. Gottschild’s education and teaching experience landed her the job as assistant director at Kidz Korner.

“She (Farkas) decided to give her idea a try and it’s been successful.” Gottschild said. “It has been a long time coming, but now we are here.”

So Much To Offer

Kidz Korner offers daycare for infants starting at 6 weeks old up to age 13. 

The infants will participate in activities that will stimulate their senses that will encourage their mental and physical development. 

“The teachers are very active with them,” said Gottschild, whose one year old daughter is in the program.

The toddlers will learn shapes, colors and participate in story time. They will also create many handmade creations to take home Gottschild said.

Preschool and Kindergarten

Gottschild said Kidz Korner also offers a preschool program for three and four year olds. 

The three-year-old program focuses on promoting a variety of hands-on experiences that will encourage the child’s curiosity, build their confidence and benefit their motor skills.

The main goal of the four-year-old program is to prepare the children for Kindergarten. Weekly themes encourage problem solving and creative thinking. The children learn literacy, science, math and art through hands-on- activities.

Kidz Korner is a state-recognized private Kindergarten. The curriculum meets or exceeds the state educational teaching standards for first-grade readiness .

“Up to this year, we were the only full-time Kindergarten in the area,” Gottschild said. 

Channahon School District 17 will begin its full-time Kindergarten program next week.

School Age

Older children can work on their homework and play games, Gottschild said. A bus stop at Kidz Korner is on the route for Channahon children.

Kidz Korner and its parents are petitioning for Minooka Community Consolidated School District to have a bus stop too. Kidz Korner is not in the district’s boundaries. 

“The majority of our students are from Minooka Schools,” Gottschild said. “It would be great if the petition passed and a bus stop could (serve) our kids. Unfortunately the Kidz Korner van can only hold so many kids.”

Extra Goodies

Students are served nutritional meals and snacks daily, Gottschild said. There is a small, fenced-in playground, Gottschild said, adding that she hopes to she more playground equipment in the future.

More information about Kidz Korner can be found at their Web site.