By Emma Loura
A new early childcare center, Raising Wildflowers Childcare Academy, is celebrating its establishment as part of the Manhattan community in August. The owner and director of Raising Wildflowers, Shelby Bruckerhoff, says it is a place that focuses on the development of the whole child and welcomes all children, including those with disabilities.
“I have a lot of kids who are coming in that have been kicked out of other centers or parents are struggling to find a place that loves and accepts their kids,” Bruckerhoff said. “We’ve got a lot of those kids, a lot of IEP kids.”
Bruckerhoff has a background in special education and is passionate about helping children who have special needs as a mother of a child with autism.
“I have several families who have come who have been removed from other places,” Bruckerhoff said. “They are in tears over knowing that they’re welcome and their kids are not going to be treated poorly.”
At Raising Wildflowers, Bruckerhoff said the children learn things like the alphabet, how to write their names and classic art and they also learn social and emotional development. Bruckerhoff said that means teaching children the words to communicate their emotions instead of throwing fits.
“I would say we are very much a Montessori Reggio Emilia type of classroom where we’re going to be doing hands-on experimenting and teachers asking open-ended questions,” Bruckerhoff said.
Bruckerhoff said children learn by playing, not just from sitting still doing worksheets inside a classroom.
“I believe that if the weather’s nice, we can do a lot on the playground if the Kansas weather permits,” Bruckerhoff said. “So a lot of outside time, exploring the environment.”
This means the children can go outside for lessons. Bruckerhoff said there are three playgrounds at the center. The daycare is going to have a new natural playground, with a mud kitchen and pipe slides where children can roll pebbles. Bruckerhoff said parents will be notified of the natural playground days so the children can be dressed accordingly, in clothes that can get dirty.
“I would say that the whole child philosophy is not something that is not really typical,” Bruckerhoff said. “We also have one staff member that is bilingual, to make families that don’t speak English feel more comfortable. We have several staff members who are fairly well versed in sign language.”
Overall, Bruckerhoff said there has been positive community reception of Raising Wildflowers since it first opened in May. The daycare has 25 children enrolled.
“I get constant comments of how needed good child care is and how vital it is to the community,” she said. “There’s been a shortage of good daycare centers.”
Bruckerhoff said she hopes many people attend the grand opening on Saturday at 8232 South Port Drive. It takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bruckerhoff said everyone is welcome, not just parents of small children.
“We’re going to have bounce houses, face painting, a barbeque, things like that,” Bruckerhoff said. “I would like the community to come out and see the space.”
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