KIDZ KORNER DAYCARE
Have you ever wondered what it is like to be inside of an in-home daycare? Well, I interviewed Michelle Moistner, owner of Kidz Korner Daycare. I also interviewed her helper, Courtney Newport. I asked them a series of questions starting with, “how did you come up with the name?” but also dealing with COVID, and how it has affected the daycare.
I first interviewed Michelle Moistner, the owner of Kidz Korner daycare. I first asked her how she came up with the name. She said, “I used to live on a corner, and I watched kids so I just added a little change to it and spelled it, Kidz Korner.” I then proceeded to ask her about the ages of kids she takes, she said, “I take newborns all the way up to 13 years old.”
At Kidz Korner, the kids get to play with a variety of different toys, have circle time, and get to play outside when it's nice out. I asked Michelle what “Circle Time” was. “Circle time is where the kids sit on the rug and learn ABC’S, colors, shapes, numbers, the weather outside, seasons, and how to spell their name, and work on pronouncing others names.” For lunch, breakfast, and snacks this daycare is on a state program, so they monitor everything the kids get fed. They also come to the daycare unannounced and check up to make sure the kids are getting fed healthy, and getting taken care of, which is a good thing.
I then proceeded to ask Michelle, “what made you want to open a daycare?” She responded with, “Well I decided to open a daycare when my children were younger, so they could stay home with me until they went to school. After that, I just decided that I enjoyed doing it, and 28 years later I am still doing it and loving every second of it.” Michelle also wanted to throw in her favorite things about this daycare. “I love teaching the children through the preschool activities, yes it can be very stressful but I love it. I also love when I come home from running to the store or something that when I walk in to hear the kids all laughing and playing and having a good time. I would have to say my favorite thing about this is all the hugs and kisses I get from these kids, It really warms my heart and makes me happy.”
COVID has affected many people's jobs, and or businesses. But for Michelle, that is not the case. Shockingly Michelle has stayed open this whole entire time! I decided to ask her how she did it with not kids getting it, or spreading it. “We wash hands every day before every meal, we sanitize all the tables before and after meal time. We sanitize toys constantly, washing off the door handles, the light plates, keeping the bathroom scoured and clean, keeping the diaper changing table clean, mopping the floors, and washing at a high temperature with the dishwasher,” quoted Michelle. She also said, “We do not let the children come in if they are coughing, sneezing, or diarrhea. We were taking temperature every day, we aren't anymore because we have all been together for so long, we have all shared the same germs, so I feel like we don't really need to be that cautious anymore because none of us have had it.” The last thing I asked that was COVID-related was, “Are masks required at your daycare?” Michelle said, “No, masks are not required at this home daycare. It would be hard to keep masks on little children, because of their coughing and snot. I think it would be more of a henderise than a help, and also I want these kids to feel somewhat like they are at home here. Yes there are boundaries but, I would like to feel somewhat at home.”
I then asked Michelle a little bit more about herself, “Are you a licensed daycare?” “Yes, I am a licensed daycare provider, I have been licensed through the state of Indiana for 28 years now.” The next question I asked Michelle was, “Would you consider this a stressful job?” She responded with, “Yes at times it can be very stressful, everything could be running really smooth, and the kids will all be having a fun time. Then all the sudden, everything just falls apart, whether that's if a kid’s toy gets stolen by another kid, or if there is name-calling. There will be days where there is the same amount of kids here, and it's nice and calm. Then there's the day where the same amount of kids are here and it feels like we have a hundred kids here. But other than that, this is a very rewarding job.” I had Michelle describe a day of work here, “We start off really early in the morning with kids coming in. After they all get here we have breakfast, after breakfast, they have a few hours of free time to either watch TV or play while we get ready for circle time. After circle time we all clean up and get ready for lunch. After lunch we get all the kids cleaned up, tables cleaned up, and kids changed. We then have quiet time for 30 minutes and then nap for 2 hours. When they wake up we serve snacks, after that, they either watch TV, dance with music from Alexa, or just play with their friends, and that's basically what it's like every day.”
Next, I interviewed Michelle’s helper, Courtney Newport. I first asked her what her responsibilities are here, she responded with, “In the morning I help Michelle get the breakfast ready, change kids, work on circle time, play with the kids, and help Michelle get lunch ready.”
I then proceeded to ask her what her favorite things to do here, she said, “I would have to say my favorite thing to do here is play with the kids and hear them laugh and sound like they are having fun. It really makes me feel like I am helping them have fun, and it makes me happy.”
I asked Courtney if she enjoyed this job, and what her favorite thing about it is, she said, “yes, I do really enjoy this job. I enjoy the time I get to spend with the kids, the bonding, and the time I get to spend with Michelle.” I proceeded to ask, “What would you say is the best thing about this job?” Courtney said, “I would have to say it is being able to be with my son and work at the same time. I also love the bonding time I get with the kids, and all the hugs and kisses. I also enjoy getting the weekends off.”
I asked Michelle if this was a stressful job, so I asked Courtney the same thing. “It can be stressful at times like when they get rowdy and are running around the house, or when babies are crying and all the kids are yelling and screaming and stuff. But other than that I wouldn't really say it is that stressful.” Quoted Courtney. I then asked her, “What made you want to seek employment with Michelle?” She said, “She offered me this job, and my son was already seeking child care with her so it was beneficial for both of us. She needed a helper and I got to be with my son so it was a win-win situation. I also enjoy that I don't have to come in as early as I did when I worked at my old job.” Courtney really likes this job.
If you are interested in daycare, Kidz Korner Daycare is open from 6:45 AM to 5 o’clock PM, every day Monday through Friday. It is located at 707 N Monroe st.