March 2023
Our mission is to elevate child development to a new level by leading the social, emotional growth, and education of young children while providing a safe, welcoming, home-like environment with a caring, educated and professional staff that promotes partnerships with parents, children, and other childhood professionals.
News...


March 1
Summer Camp Registration Begins

March 17
Financial Agreements Due
Updated Admission Forms Due

March 20
Tuition Increase Effective

March 27 - 31
School Age Spring Break
Sign up Now


All children entering Kindergarten in the fall of 2023 please be mindful that Unit 5 has opened registration please contact your child's potential elementary for more details.
We truly appreciate the time on our recent Professional Development Day to work in our classrooms & build
 as a team.  


We want to thank all the members of our Katie's Kids team for 
their hard-work and dedication.

We would like to highlight milestones for years of dedication:

Tami Mann - 15 years
Tammy Halter - 15 years
Andrea Carter - 14 years
Betsy Harrison - 13 years
Megan Turbett - 12 years
Heather Von Holten - 12 years
Lindie Alsdorf - 9 years
Jamie Lantgen - 9 years
Leslie Tallen - 8 years
Priya Patel - 7 years
Kacey Henkins - 5 years
Cara Arnold - 3 years
Cassady Kaeb- 3 years
Sarah Youngs - 3 years
Laurel Gonzalez - 1 year
Natalie Halter - 1 year
Brianna Hofsteadter - 1 year
Kalin King - 1 year
Carissa Knezz - 1 year
Vanessa Leucke - 1 year
Ava Maheras - 1 year
Alyvia North - 1 year
Olivia Wright - 1 year


Winter Weather...

In the event Katie's Kids is closed due to weather, please refer to our website at www.katieskids.net or the Katie's Kids facebook page.

The announcement will also be posted on BAND for KK1 and Classroom Facebook for KK2.
Please bring in appropriate outdoor clothing for your child to wear. The children will continue to go outside if the temperature remains above 25 degrees. This includes coat, hat, mittens, boots, and potentially snow pants.

Keep in mind as spring approaches, our playground can be very muddy. Please bring rainboots if you prefer your child doesn't wear their regular shoes outside. If your child wears rainboots into the classroom, please bring extra shoes appropriate for our classrooms.
Dolly Parton Imagination Library
The Dolly Parton Imagination Library is now available in McLean County!
Children ages birth to 5 are eligible to receive a free book every month. In order to join the library, follow this link to apply.
If you would like more information about the Library, please refer to this article in The Pantagraph!
Do you have any old cameras laying around?

Room 7 is starting a camera project and they need your help! A large piece of a project involves hands-on activities to spark conversation and curiosity. Do you have any cameras, working or not, you would like to donate for the children to explore? If so, please drop them by the front desk!
Young children need the same variety of nutrient-rich foods as older kids and adults, just in smaller quantities. As portions have gotten bigger, some parents and caregivers have developed a distorted view of the amount of food toddlers and preschoolers need. Feeding children becomes less frustrating and less complicated when adults know what kids need to grow well and be healthy.

Defining a Young Child's Serving Size
An appropriate serving size for children 2 to 3 years of age is about one-half an adult serving. This rule of thumb is based on serving sizes recommended by MyPlate, not portions served in many restaurants. The recommendations are a general guideline based on age and activity level.  So a serving of bread for a 2- to 3-year-old would be half of a slice.

Foods Young Children Need
Most 2- to 3-year-old children need to consume about 1,000 to 1,400 calories per day. Here's how to distribute those calories in a healthy eating plan:
  • Grain Group: About 3 to 5 ounces of grains per day, preferably half of them whole grains. For example, that is one or two slices of bread plus one ounce ready-to-eat cereal and 1 cup cooked rice or pasta.
  • Vegetable Group: 1 to 1½ cups raw or cooked vegetables per day. Like adults, young kids need variety of vegetables and include dark green, red and orange ones: mashed sweet potatoes, broccoli with low-fat dip or tomato sauce for pasta.
  • Fruit Group: 1 to 1½ cups fresh, frozen, canned, or dried fruits per day. Limit fruit juice to 4 to 6 ounces per day. Emphasize whole fruits rather than juice. Kids love melon balls, mandarin oranges (fresh or canned in juice) and frozen berries.
  • Milk Group: 2 to 2½ cups cups per day. Whole milk is recommended for children younger than 2. Older children can have lower-fat, calcium-rich choices such as fat-free or low-fat milk and soy milk, yogurt and cheese.
  • Protein Group: 2 to 4 ounces total per day. Mix up protein foods with lean meats, poultry, seafood, eggs, soy products, cooked beans (black, pinto, kidney), unsalted nuts and nut butters.
What to Do About Snacks, Sweet Drinks and Desserts
Plan two to three small snacks at set times during the day to refuel small, active bodies. Choose foods from the MyPlate food groups. Make small servings of sweet drinks and desserts "sometimes" foods. MyPlate recommends to limit sodium to 1,500 milligrams per day, saturated fat to 11-16 grams per day and added sugars to 25-35 grams per day for young children.

For more information about eating plans and serving sizes for preschoolers, visit ChooseMyPlate.gov.
Food Allergies

We would like to bring attention to the food concerns we hold here at Katie's Kids Learning Center. Throughout the center, we have children who hold severe allergies to various food products. Due to their allergies, we have food restrictions regarding what is safe to be brought into our classrooms.

We would like to make you aware of the policy state in our family handbook. "According to DCFS regulations, parents may not bring in outside food or drinks into the center unless your child's snack/lunch needs to be supplemented due to medical reasons." We would appreciate if children would finish eating food from home before entering the classroom and wash their hands as they enter the classroom in order to avoid any potential allergic reactions. Some allergic reactions can be triggered by what a child touches before entering the classroom. That is why it is very important to wash your child's hands upon arrival.

Thank you for understanding our need to keep all children safe and healthy. Please do not hesitate to speak with the staff or administration with questions you may have concerning this regulation/policy.

Thank you,
KKLC Leadership Team
Ideas for Home...

Letter Stacks

This game uses flat letter tiles to help your child with letter identification. However, you can use anything that can be stacked. Consider wooden alphabet blocks or craft sticks with letters written on them as an alternative.
Share your positive moments!

Do you have any positive moments you want to share about our staff? If so, we want to hear and share them! Simply click on the button below, fill out the form, and submit.

Help spread the word of Katie's Kids!

Do you have a friend, neighbor, or colleague looking for care? For every family you refer to Katie's Kids we will apply a $50 credit to your account after the family has been with us for 90 days.
Katie's Kids Learning Center at Ft. Jesse
Accredited by: National Accreditation Commission