Hesston Community Child Care
Hesston Community Child Care
Hesston Community Child Care Association offers three programs. Hesston Community Child Care Center, a School Age Program known as Kids' Connect, and Hesston Community Preschool. Hesston Community Child Care Center provides care for children from 6 weeks to Kindergarten enrollment. Kids' Connect provides care for children currently enrolled in USD 460 - 4th grade. Hesston Community Preschool offers a half-day preschool program for children ages 3-5 years.
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Hesston Community Child Care Center
Hesston Community Child Care Center serves children ages 6 weeks through enrollment in Kindergarten. Hesston Community Child Care is open Monday - Friday from 6:30 AM- 6:00 PM. Hesston Community Child Care Center provides several care options to help accommodate the needs of families in the community. Hesston Community Child Care Center has a Kindergarten readiness program for the 2 oldest classes to help prepare them for when they transition to Kindergarten. Due to allergies and to keep all children safe, Hesston Community Child Care Center is a peanut/tree nut-free facility. Hesston Community Child Care Center is closed for Good Friday, Memorial Day, 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving break, and Christmas break. If Hesston Schools close due to weather conditions our childcare facilities will also close. Hesston Community Child Care Center is located at 441 Neufeld Drive, Hesston, Kansas.
Kids' Connect
The Kids' Connect Program offers after school care during the school year, serving children who are currently enrolled in Kindergarten through 4th grade at USD 460. Kids' Connect after-school care closes at 6:00 PM. Kids' Connect closures align with the USD 460 school calendar. If Hesston Schools close due to weather conditions, our childcare facilities will also close. During the summer months, Kids' Connect offers an all-day program for children in Hesston and the surrounding communities who have completed Kindergarten through 12 years of age. Kids' Connect summer hours are 6:30 AM - 6:00 PM. Kids' Connect is located at Hesston Elementary School, 300 E. Amos, Hesston, Kansas.
Hesston Community Preschool
Hesston Community Preschool serves children ages 3 - 5 years. Hesston Community Preschool has two sessions. The Tuesday and Thursday class offers a session from 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM for children ages 3-4 years. The Monday, Wednesday, and Friday class offers a session for children ages 4-5 years from 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM. Hesston Community Preschool operates from August - May. A list of planned closures for the center will be available at enrollment. If Hesston Schools close due to weather conditions our childcare facilities will also close. Hesston Community Preschool is located at 100 N. Ridge Road, Hesston, Kansas.
Our Story
From 1976 - 2005 Hesston Community Child Care Association operated out of many different locations throughout Hesston including several churches, and Hay and Forage. In the early 2000s a vision for an intergenerational program came through Director Judy Friesen and CEO of Schowalter Villa James Krehbiel. In 2005 Hesston Intergenerational Child Development Center moved to our current location on the campus of Bluestem Communities. This opened up interaction between the youth and seniors living at Schowalter Villa. In 2018 the final phase of the intergenerational Program was completed with the opening of two classrooms in the Mullet Place building.
Hesston Community Child Care Association remembers our roots with the Swartzendruber family who created many play structures and equipment needed for the childcare center. Each playground still uses something that was created by a Swartzendruber. In 2019, the playgrounds were named "Druber's Playground" in dedication to the support and willingness to create something useable from nothing for the center.
Judy Friesen saw Hesston Community Child Care Association through many moves, trials, and successes throughout her time as Director. Judy helped create the love of nature, and the Christ-inspired, child-centered program that we deeply value.
Expanding Community Service
Kid's Connect has been serving children in the community at Hesston Elementary School since 1992.
In 2022 Hesston Community Child Care Association partnered with Hesston Community Preschool to begin preparations to provide a morning preschool option aiming to better serve the community. With the cooperation of Hesston School District, USD 460, a space was made available at Hesston Middle School for HCP to operate out of. The Preschool operates during the months of September – May. The fundamental objective of Hesston Community Preschool is to help children thrive in social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and spiritual areas of development.
Our mission is to provides a safe, healthy, stimulating, and secure Christian environment that responds to the individual needs and diversity of the children and families who choose to participate in our programs.
Intergenerational Program
Alyssa Goering is the Intergenerational Coordinator for the HICDC center along with Schowalter Villa. Jill organizes weekly play time in the Villa’s outdoor courtyard for our two oldest classes at HICDC. The classes that spend time in the courtyard have a variety of activities to enrich their time with the residents, who we like to call our Grand-Friends. Some of these activities include large motor skills using balls, hoops, and a variety of other outdoor toys. Children also build listening skills through fine motor activities such as moving to music, use of puppets, flags, and a parachute.
The center has a multi-purpose room that has windows into a hallway of Schowalter Villa that residents are able to watch through. We are able to coordinate play time and activities in this room that all classes are able to participate in. The entire center is also able to participate in big parades and themed events throughout the year.
