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Vlieger said children who have parents that read to them, work on their numbers, letters, shapes and colors at home have a better chance of reading earlier. And it's been successful, she said - she's had many children know their alphabet by the age of 3, for example.Ī child's development varies with their environment. Thirty-six years ago, when Verla Vlieger started a day care in her home, she noticed other providers who simply plopped their children in front of the TV, or let them play all day.īy registering and training through the state, Vlieger gained enough knowledge to create a learning curriculum for all her day care children.

Boris said the state has about 250 child care centers and group child cares registered. DWU's day care has a ratio of 20-to-3, or about six or seven kids to one adult.Ĭhild care centers must have a child-to-adult ratio of 5-to-1 for children under 3 10-to-1 for children ages 3 to 6 and 15-to-1 for children over 6. They must have a child-to-adult ratio of 8-to-1. Group family child care centers are allowed to care for 13 to 20 children. The genealogy website says it used 150 years worth of Census Bureau data to compile its findings. That totals to about 1,200 people in the state providing in-home day care, he said.Īccording to an report released in May, South Dakota leads the nation in percentage of all mothers in the state working at 80 percent. Greg Boris of the advocacy group Voices for Children said for every provider that is registered, there are one and a half people providing day care who are not registered. In a recent presentation in Mitchell, Dr. Several day cares listed online had disconnected numbers.Īccording to data from South Dakota Kids Count project in Vermillion, there are about 800 people registered with the state to operate in-home day cares. The Daily Republic did an online search for unregistered home day cares, and found about 12 that answered phone numbers listed. There is no organized list of day cares in Mitchell other than those listed on the state Department of Social Services website.ĭay cares not registered or licensed through the state have no specific listing. There are at least 48 child care businesses in Mitchell, including Menning's.

'No, there was thunder outside,' Karmyn said seriously and nodded her head as she picked up a gray cloud.

'Is it snowing outside?' Menning said, smiling, knowing Karmyn was joking. Karmyn Weidner picked up a snowflake and grinned. 'What does it look like outside right now?' Menning asked a 2-year-old child during a recent afternoon. She often takes out Windy Weather, a hand puppet, and her activity pack, which includes such items as a calendar and numbers, and figures depicting the weather. Ten children, ranging in age from 1 to 5, take their places on the floor and eagerly await Menning's activity. 'Circle up,' she calls after breakfast each morning.

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