About Us

We are a family oriented and ran facility. We pride ourselves on providing clean, safe, educational childcare in a small family-like setting. We hold special pride in our center’s professional staff. Selected for their knowledge of child development as well as their strong interpersonal skills, they are the strength of our program. I like to think of Sandcastle Kids as a place that children and adults consider their second home…a place where they accepted and loved…a place where laughter and play are cherished!

We believe that most of life’s learning including how to learn- occurs in the first five years of life. Since each child learns at his/her own pace, our staff will look to each child to determine the next stage of development. Our philosophy for the center allows our little ones to grow to become confident and to enjoy successes in an atmosphere of respect, warmth and love.

Discipline Philosophy

At Sandcastle Kids we use Love and Logic. Love and Logic is a philosophy founded in 1977 by Jim Fay and Foster W. Cline, M.D. It is the approach of choice among leading educators, parents, and other professionals worldwide. Our teachers have been taught how to "lock in our empathy, love, and understanding" prior to telling a child what the consequences of their actions will be. By doing so, we hold our kids accountable in a compassionate way that teaches them to think about their actions before they occur. This Love and Logic method causes the child to see their teacher as the "good guy" and the child's poor decision as the "bad guy." When done on a regular basis, kids develop an internal voice that says, "I wonder how much discomfort I'm going to cause for myself with my next decision?" Kids who develop this internal voice become more capable of standing up to peer pressure, have a better understanding of “good” behavior and make better decisions!

Times of negative behavior are seen as time for learning and understanding, not punishment. The children are included in making the rules for their classrooms, which are revised 3 to 4 times a year to accommodate changes of children and behaviors. It is in the best interest of every child to not give warnings. If a rule is broken then the child is sat down to reflect on what happened and how to prevent it.

Love and Logic Parenting classes are offered in the valley at various times throughout the year we highly encourage parents and caregivers to attend and offer 10% discount on your monthly bill for one month when you present your certificate of completion. We also provide free childcare for families needing care while attending once a year.

Testimonial

"Love this place!!! My daughter loves going to school everyday ☺"

Angela McCoy

Hours of Operation and Scheduling:

Our hours of operation are from 6:00 am to 6:30 pm Monday through Friday (These hours are subject to change and based on the hours required by the enrolled children).

Accurate schedules need to be provided by all families to ensure that we have adequate staffing. The State of Idaho requires we maintain a safe number of adult to children ratio depending on their ages. We value the quality of care we are providing your child and our ratios are slightly lower. Our ratios, as well as group sizes are 1 adult: per 6 infants; 1 adult: per 6 toddlers; 1 adult: per 12 preschoolers; 1 adult: per 12 school-age children. Group sizes are based on the youngest child of the group and are strictly followed to the quality and integrity of our care.