It's 6 a.m. The phone rings; it's your babysitter telling you she is sick and cannot take care of your child. You begin a telephone marathon waking up relatives, friends, drop-in centers, etc., trying to find a babysitter for the day. You need to get to work and you cannot afford to take a day off. Ask any parent and they will tell you how they dread that early morning phone call.

Kings Community Action Organization (KCAO) can help. KCAO has eight child care centers operating in Kings County (Avenal, Lemoore, Hanford) that provide quality child care for children 0-5 years.

Any child enrolled in a KCAO child care center participates in age-appropriate child development activities preparing your child for school. Activities are instructional, interactive and geared toward the appropriate developmental stage of the child.

Children explore, read, have quiet time, build with blocks, etc., to promote physical well-being, motor development and positive social and emotional development, foster language development, and instill cognitive development and general knowledge. KCAO child care centers are licensed by the State of California and teachers must meet certain qualifications to be in the classroom.

School readiness is important because it creates a smooth transition between home and school; it ensures continuity between early care and education programs and elementary grades; it focuses on helping children learn through a student-centered environment and assures that students have access to services and support from the community to ensure a successful academic experience. KCAO's child care centers also provide access for parents to training and support to be their child's first teacher and promote healthy functioning families.

Did you know that 90 percent of brain growth takes place before most children enter kindergarten? Preschool takes advantage of this period of rapid development to lay a strong educational and social foundation for elementary school and beyond. Today, 50 percent of California fourth graders are failing basic reading standards. However, studies show that children who go to quality preschool are more likely to read by the time they reach third grade; less likely to be placed in special education or held back in school; more likely to graduate high school and go to college; less likely to be arrested or jailed; and more likely to support themselves as adults.

The California States Preschool Program is funded by the State of California Department of Education and in some cases, subsidizes child care based on a family's eligibility and need. For example, a family of four can earn up to $2,166 per month and qualify for free enrollment in a child care center. Sometimes a family may have a small monthly family fee based on their income. For example, a family of four earning more than $2,166 a month could pay as little as $2 per day for full-time child care per family.

KCAO's child care centers are committed to the success of every child. Call today and ask about enrollment at 582-4386.

Eidson is director of Child Care Assistance for KCAO.

(Nov. 6, 2009)