News & Events

Chesapeake Energy has been named one of FORTUNE's "100 Best Companies To Work For"

2012-01-19T21:22:31Z

Chesapeake Energy has been named one of FORTUNE's "100 Best Companies To Work For". Chesapeake Energy ranked #18 this year, which is up 14 spots from last year. What changed? They opened a sleek new 63,000-square-foot child care center managed by Children's Choice Learning Centers, Inc.. The center is big enough for 300 children - the largest such facility in the state and the latest addition to the natural-gas producer's perk-filled headquarters. That’s one thing that makes them so GREAT!

Congratulations to Chesapeake Energy for this incredible accomplishment! We are honored to partner with you to care for the children of Chesapeake.

Sandi Brooks Interviewed on WB33

2012-01-20T14:39:08Z

Sandi Brooks, Regional Director for Children's Choice Learning Centers, was recently interviewed by WB 33 on sick-child childcare. Children’s Choice Learning Center at Medical City Dallas offers Sniffles & Snuggles®, a get-well suite for mildly ill children.
Brooks said more parents are turning to sick-child childcare because they can't afford to turn their backs on their jobs. "Parents can't predict when their kids are going to be sick, but they can call us early in the morning. We open at 6:00, and they will call us at 6:00 or 6:30 and say I have to go to work."

Sniffles & Snuggles® separates the children by illness so we do not cross contaminate. A qualified medical assistant administers medications when needed.

"These kids are here all day, and they need attention all day long,” Brooks said. “Sometimes they just need somebody who is going to love them and hug them and make them feel better."

Click here to view interview in its entirety.

Donna McClintock Quoted in The New York Times!

2012-01-17T16:45:03Z

Our very own Donna McClintock, COO for Children's Choice Learning Centers, Inc., is quoted in The New York Times. The January 15th story, entitled “Day Care Centers Adapt to Round-the-Clock Demand,” details how centers are turning more toward non-traditional hours as many American families do not work Monday through Friday, 9a-6p. Click here to read the article in its entirety.¹

¹The New York Times. January 15, 2012

Choice4Care: 2011 APNA Conference

2012-01-10T16:17:22Z

Margaret Arnold-Rowells and Bernadette Fusaro attended the APNA Conference (Association of Premier Nanny Agencies) in San Diego on Sept. 23 – 25, 2011. APNA is a professional membership organization for in-home care agency owners who establish and enforce standards of professional industry practices. Our Choice4Care® Backup Care program and our children’s book “Mommy Goes to Work” was highlighted at the event. We are excited to partner with these quality agencies to provide in-home care for our clients.

Corporate Partner of Corporate Voices for Working Families

2011-08-24T17:26:57Z

Children’s Choice has become a corporate partner of Corporate Voices for Working Families. Founded in 2001, Corporate Voices for Working Families is the leading national business membership organization shaping conversations and collaborations on public and corporate policy issues involving working families. As a Corporate Voices' partner company, Children's Choice is deeply committed to the issues that affect employees and we support the Corporate Voices Mission - to improve the lives of working families, while strengthening our nation’s economy and enhancing the vitality of our communities.

Choice4Care an Angel Sponsor for 2011 APNA Conference

2011-08-24T17:22:45Z

Choice4Care an Angel Sponsor for 2011 APNA Conference

Choice4Care® Backup Care is proud to announce they are an Angel Sponsor of the 18^th Annual APNA (Association of Premier Nanny Agencies) conference on Sept. 22-25 in San Diego, California.

The Association of Premier Nanny Agencies (APNA) is a professional membership organization for in-home care agency owners who establish and enforce standards of professional industry practices. Choice4Care® Backup Care support this organization in its mission to provide the highest quality in-home care for children and adults and elders.

Children's Choice Welcomes St. Joseph Mercy Oakland Families and Staff

2011-07-18T16:54:02Z

Children’s Choice Welcomes St. Joseph Mercy Hospital Families and Staff to Children’s Choice

[RICHARDSON, Texas – July 11, 2011] Children’s Learning Center at St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital joins Children’s Choice to continue the care and education of the community. We are very excited about the addition of the Children’s Learning Center to our family and to continue building on the outstanding program that they have developed. We admire the care provided by Children's Learning Center for the children and their families throughout the past years. By joining together, we will continue the mission of caring for children and preparing them for a love of learning, making them lifelong learners. Excellent child care should replicate a loving home with nuturing educators helping them learn and grow. At Children's Choice our goal is to make childhood a wonderful and rich experience for every child who enters our doors. We guide with love and understanding because one of the most important gifts we can give a child is the gift of a healthy self-esteem. We respect each child, nurture their spirit, and embrace every culture so that every child feels included. We look forward to doing just that with the educators and families of Children's Learning Center.

Bernadette Fusaro receives Visionary Award-Corporate Leader

2012-01-10T16:14:05Z

Bernadette Fusaro receives Visionary Award: Corporate Leader

[RICHARDSON, Texas - June 16, 2011] On June 16^th, Bernadette Fusaro, Director of Choice4Care® Backup Care, received the Visionary Award: Corporate Leader for her work on the Corporate Voices Founding Board of Trustees. Corporate Voices provides leading and best-practice employers a forum to improve the lives of working families, while strengthening our nation’s economy and enhancing the vitality of our communities.

Founded in 2001, Corporate Voices for Working Families is the leading national business membership organization shaping conversations and collaborations on public and corporate policy issues involving working families. A non-profit, non-partisan organization, Corporate Voices creates and advances innovative policy solutions that reflect a commonality of interests among both global and domestic private sectors, government, and other stakeholders.

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About Children’s Choice Learning Centers, Inc.®

Children’s Choice Learning Centers, Inc.® www.ChildrensChoice.com is the nation's premier corporate-sponsored child care, early education and Choice4Care® backup care provider. Children’s Choice serves clients across the United States with programs including child care, early education and backup care for children and adults/elders.

Bernadette Fusaro joins Children's Choice as Director of Choice4Care

2012-01-10T16:13:14Z

Bernadette Fusaro joins Children’s Choice as Director of Choice4Care®

[RICHARDSON, Texas – June 21, 2011] Bernadette Fusaro is named Director of Choice4Care® Backup Care

Children’s Choice Learning Centers is excited to announce the addition of Bernadette Fusaro to our corporate team as Director of Choice4Care® Backup Care. Ms. Fusaro has over 20 years of experience in the work/life field. She began her business career at Merrill Lynch where she was Vice President of Global Work/Life Strategies. In that position, Bernadette was responsible for all work/life programs offered to employees including an on-site child care center in Hopewell, NJ and nationwide backup care program for children, adults,and elders. Through her efforts, Merrill Lynch was the first Wall Street Company to be recognized by Working Mother magazine as one of the 100 Best Companies for Working Mothers in 1996.

After leaving Merrill Lynch in 2003, Bernadette continued in the work/life field as a Senior Account Manager for Work Options Group where she specialized in backup care programs for leading corporations. She continued in this role when Bright Horizons acquired Work Options Group in 2009. Her extensive experience on both the corporate and vendor side gives her a unique understanding of what employers need in a quality backup care program.

Prior to her business career, Bernadette was an early childhood educator in New York City for 5 years. She has her Master's Degree in Education from Fordham University.

Bernadette’s current role is the Director of Choice4Care® Backup Care at Children’s Choice Learning Centers where she is responsible for all aspects of this unique program.

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About Children’s Choice Learning Centers, Inc.®

Children's Choice puts CHILDREN FIRST

2011-06-09T22:09:32Z

“CHILDREN FIRST”...Children’s Choice ADDITIONAL CORE VALUES:

Children’s Choice is dedicated to and guided by our Core Values. Our Core Values are not just words that hang on the wall. Our Core Values are “committable” Core Values. “Committable Core Values” means that we hire and fire by them. We BELIEVE that our Core Values are critical to the on-going success of Children’s Choice.

While Children's Choice realizes that there is NO way to include every key success factor on a single sheet of paper, we felt that there were some key Core Values that we needed to add. Our current Core Values are Compassion, Honesty, Integrity, Loyalty, Dignity, Respect, Enthusiasm, and Niceness.

We have added Fun, Innovation, Relationships, Social Purpose, and Trust.

Fun: We believe that you must keep the fun in childhood, and adults who know how to laugh and smile make life so much more enjoyable for everyone. And of all industries, fun should be at the top of our list. We want you to dance to work, dance at work, and dance home. If we will allow them, the children will teach us the art of having fun and the magic of joy.

Innovation: Children’s Choice is constantly seeking new ways to meet the changing needs of America’s families. We offer 24/7 care in accredited centers, iPads in the classrooms, and notifications when babies are fed that push out to moms’ cell phones immediately in some markets. We are always looking for new technology and new ideas. We will continue to find innovative ways to support our families.

Relationships: We know that our mission is about caring for people. We have to show how much we care in everything that we do. Everything we do must be wrapped by a spirit of caring.

Social Purpose: Children’s Choice is determined to have an impact on the needs of the communities we serve. We added this to our Core Values so that our leaders will remain focused on creating opportunities to serve their communities.

Trust: Every stable relationship is built on trust. We realize we have to earn it, and we will. We then have to live in a way to maintain it, and we will.

Children's Choice believes that these additional Core Values with our existing Core Values more accurately reflect who Children's Choice is, who Children's Choice strives to be, and what values Children's Choice commits to living by each day.

Children's Choice focuses on CHILDREN FIRST! Children's Choice makes every decision on the side of the child.

Our educators live out each Core Value each and every day in their center.

The interactions between each child and their educator is nurturing, loving, developmentally appropriate, and positive. Our Core Values state the things Children's Choice must be and do in order for Children's Choice to be a safe, fun, educational environment for each and every child.

Children's Choice Named to the Comerica Collin 2011 Top 60 Strongest Business in Collin County

2012-01-10T15:58:07Z

Children’s Choice Named to Comerica Collin 60’s 2011 List of “Collin’s Top 60” Strongest Businesses in Collin County

[RICHARDSON, Texas, -- May 6, 2011] Children’s Choice Learning Centers, Inc.®, the nation's premier corporate-sponsored child care, early education and Choice4Care® backup care provider, has been named in the Comerica Collin 60’s List of the Top 60 businesses in Collin County.

All companies nominated received a site visit from the Comerica Collin 60 selection committee. Nominees were honored on Friday, May 6^th during a celebration luncheon at the Renaissance Dallas/Richardson Hotel in Richardson, Texas. The Top 60 companies are creating better lives, greater productivity and a stronger community for the North Texas area ---and the nation.

“We were honored to be recognized as one of the strongest businesses in Collin County,” said Dan Lawler, CFO, Children’s Choice Learning Centers. “We chose to locate our headquarters in Collin County 10 years ago because of the people, entrepreneurial spirit and frankly, location. We have not been disappointed as our business has grown significantly and we now deliver a quality, nurturing, educational experience to our 3,500 children each day.”

Optimist Club of Des Plaines Donates 4-seat stroller to Children's Choice at Holy Family

2011-05-12T14:18:51Z

Children’s Choice at Holy Family received a generous donation of a 4-seat stroller from the Optimist Club, for the purpose of being able to walk the whole class of 8 babies at the same time. Our existing stroller only accommodates 4 older and more physically develop infants.

The new stroller has reclining seatbacks so that the younger babies who might fall asleep during the outing can be comfortable and still get fresh air and a change of scenery.

Besides wanting to thank club president, John Del Re, the person to whom we express particular gratitude is our advocate and local club member, Ms. Stephanie Zalewski. Stephanie came to Children’s Choice at Holy Family as a student from Oakton Community College, participating in our toddler classroom as part her studies in an early childhood education class (ECE 104). Over the course of the spring semester, 2010, Stephanie decided that early education was her passion, and she continued working here as a volunteer after graduation.

So motivated and enthusiastic is Stephanie that she is now currently employed by Children’s Choice as an always-smiling, part-time educator.

Thank you, Stephanie, John, and all of the members of the Optimist Club of Des Plaines!

To learn more about the Optimist Club of Des Plaines please visit their website at http://dpoptimist.org/index.htm

Children's Choice, MVP Gala Sponsor at the Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St.Vincent 4th Annual Fundraising Gala

2011-04-04T20:39:54Z

St. Vincent Health and the St. Vincent Foundation hosted the Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St. VIncent 4th Annual "Celebration of Caring" Fundraising Gala. Dan Lawler, CFO and Donna McClintock, COO of Children's Choice attended this memorable event.

Local and national dignitaries and corporate sponsors attended the premier fundraising gala, while Peyton and Ashley Manning served as the honorary chairpersons. Bob Costas, host of NBC’s “Football Night in America,” emceed, and country music recording artist Kenny Chesney performed a live concert at the event.

The 4th Annual Fundraising Gala brought in more than $1.2 million for the Peyton Manning Children’s Hospital at St. Vincent. The Celebrations of Caring gala raised the most in the history of any fundraising event by the St. Vincent Foundation. Some of the event’s moneymakers were live auction items, including a private dinner or brunch hosted by Peyton and Ashley Manning at the JW Marriott; a children’s party at The Children’s Museum, with Peyton as a guest; and a night in New Orleans, hosted by Manning’s parents, Archie and Olivia Manning.

Congratulations to St. Vincent Health and the St. Vincent Foundation for a successful gala and to the Peyton Manning Children's Hospital at St. Vincent for being the recipient of such generousity.

Children's Choice Attends Work-Life Summit In New Orleans, LA

2011-03-02T15:19:38Z

Karen Woodford and Jack Wallace of Children's Choice Learning Centers recently returned from New Orleans, LA. Both enjoyed being included in the invitation only innovative think tank conference on work-life effectiveness. "The Summit" was coordinated and facilitated by the Alliance of Work-Life Progress (AWLP), a division of World at Work.

Karen, considered a pioneer in the field, was asked to facilitate a panel on the history of the work-life movement. The history panel began by looking at national activities in the 1970's when the focus of the field was solely on employer child care programs. Women were entering the workforce in record numbers for economic reasons and the need for quality child care became obvious. Throughout the country early childhood professionals were banning together to help employers create quality child care centers at the worksite. The first child care referral was created in the early 80's and the need for elder care referral began to surface as well. Since that time, the field of work-life has expanded and now includes back-up care for children and elders, flexible work programs, legal services and many other programs and policies that support working Americans of all ages.

Children Choice Learning Centers prides itself on setting the example of extraordinary employer child care programs and was a proud sponsor of the AWLP Summit.

JoAnn Johnson Joins Children's Choice As Regional Director

2012-01-10T16:07:08Z

Children's Choice is thrilled to announce the addition of JoAnn Johnson to our corporate team. She is a passionate Early Care & Education Operations Leader that has been recognized for her exceptional leadership, integrity and inspiration in national, division and regional general management roles.

JoAnne is a talented mentor and coach with a proven track record. We believe that JoAnn, not only has great skills and knowledge, but she fully embraces and lives out our Core Values of Compassion, Honesty, Integrity, Loyalty, Dignity, Respect, Enthusiasm, and Niceness.

Children's Choice is committed to excellence and we are excited to welcome JoAnn to our team of leaders. She will work directly with directors in a regional director position and will fulfill additional roles within operations.

Children's Choice Learning Centers, Inc. is the nation's premier educational childcare company specializing in corporate sponsored childcare …"where learning meets caring, one child at a time".

Welcome, JoAnn, to our Children's Choice family!

Here We GROW Again - Children's Choice Partners with Banner Health

2012-01-10T16:04:59Z

Children's Choice Learning Centers would like to announce the Grand Opening of two new centers to our learning center family: Children's Choice at Sun Health Boswell Hospital in Sun City, AZ and Children's Choice at Del E. Webb Memorial Hospital, West Sun City, AZ.

From everyone at Children's Choice Learning Centers we welcome you to the CCLC family. Thank you for trusting your most precious gift with us.

Children's Choice Learning Centers are Employer-Sponsored national early care and educational childcare facilities that offer a safe and happy environment to all children 6 weeks to 12 years. We partner with many hospitals, universities and government offices. Our 41 locations are on-site or on-property allowing mother's to continue breast feeding their newborn or parents to visit during their work day. Many of our learning centers offer Backup Care, Sniffles & Snuggles for mildly ill children (medical staff care for these children so parents feel confident that their child is well taken care of) holiday and Summer programs as well as private Kindergarten and First Grade. A registered dietitian designs our menus for the children, which meet USDA guidelines.

We would love to see the smiling face of your little one. Visit our website for additional information and locations. www.ChildrensChoice.com

Children's Choice Partners with North Oaks Health Systems

2011-05-12T15:51:10Z

North Oaks Health Systems and Children’s Choice Learning Centers Partner to Provide On-site Child Care for Employees

[HAMMOND, LA – Nov. 29, 2010] North Oaks Health Systems and Children’s Choice Learning Centers, Inc.® have partnered to offer the children of North Oaks Health Systems continued success in the education of the children in the North Oaks family.

History
North Oaks Health System established Little Oaks Childcare Center at its inception in 1960 – long before the availability of such services became standard in the industry.

Children’s Choice is excited to join North Oaks and continue to provide quality, nurturing and educational care for children 6 weeks to 13 years.

One of the most touted benefits of working at North Oaks is their onsite early care and educational childcare facility, Little Oaks. Little Oaks Childcare Center is owned by North Oaks Health System and now operated by Children’s Choice Learning Centers. It is licensed by the Louisiana State Department of Social Services, Bureau of Licensing, as a Class “A” Day Care Center.

Children and grandchildren, ages 6 weeks through 13 years, of employees and volunteers are eligible for enrollment, as well as children of active medical staff physicians, their office staff, and students/interns with current, approved school affiliations with North Oaks.

A Place for Learning
Little Oaks offers structured learning activities for children as young as 12 months of age. The Pre-K program follows the standards set by local school systems.

Eight computers loaded with fun learning games are available to help the children get a jump-start on technology. Special guests like firemen, nurses, policemen and ambulance drivers visit the children throughout the year to teach them about safety and accident prevention.

A Place for Fun
From an Easter Egg Hunt and Fourth of July picnic to a Thanksgiving Feast and Christmas complete with Santa Claus, there is always an event to celebrate.

Pre-K children enjoy tea parties and even pajama parties. A graduation party ends the school year in May, while December brings a Christmas Program complete with costumes and singing.

Summertime at Little Oaks means “Kaleidoscope.” Each day has a theme, including Game Day, Recipe Day, Arts and Crafts Day and Water Day. Summer ends with the “Kaleidoscope Carnival” – where the older children prepare an end-of-the-summer party for the younger children with games, prizes and treats.

Little Oaks is open Monday through Friday from 5:30a – 7:30p. They will be closed for the following holidays: New Year’s Eve Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

From everyone at Children's Choice Learning Centers we welcome you to the Children's Choice family. Thank you for trusting your most precious gift with us.

2010 NAEYC Convention

2011-05-12T14:52:43Z

Children's Choice had a fantastic visit in Anaheim at the 2010 NAEYC Convention! Our management team enjoyed interacting with our peer groups and were thrilled to provide our newest client with an opportunity to view the wares of the childcare vendors. NAEYC is not only the benchmark for childcare quality but also the catalyst in bringing the top education companies together.