Northville First Care Adds Post-Preschool Program

Northville First Care, a child care center in Northville for 17 years, is adding a new post-preschool program this fall.

"Many parents choose to keep their kids in preschool for another year, and this will meet that need," said Nancy Sornson, director at Northville First Care located at First United Methodist Church on 777 West Eight Mile Road.

"Young Fives" is a new program in addition to the full service day care Northville First Care provides for children 6 weeks to 6 years old, she said.

"This is for kids who have probably been to preschool before," she said. "It's like junior kindergarten."

She said the program will have a junior kindergarten curriculum including reading, writing, beginner's math, music, art and physical education. 

"It’s geared for children who are either too young to go to kindergarten or are not quite developmentally ready," she said.

A recently enacted state law changed the minimum age requirement for children enrolling in kindergarten. Currently, a child must be five years old before Dec. 1 to be eligible for kindergarten. According to the Michigan Pupil Accounting and Attendance Association, children must be five years old by Nov. 1 for the 2013-14 school year.

"They don’t have to be 5 years old," Sornson said about children in the "Young Fives" program. "The state just changed the kindergarten age, so there will be several kids that will be aged out of kindergarten."

"Young Fives" will be five days a week from 9 to 3:30 p.m. starting after Labor Day. The program costs $160 a week, and there are care options available for before and after hours.

The program will only accept about 15 students, Sornson said. There will be open houses at 6:30 p.m. April 18 and May 16 at First United Methodist Church, she said.

Those interested in more information can call Northville First Care at 248-349-8875.