I'm the founder and director of Kiddie Karrasel Academy here in LeClaire, and I've been welcoming children through our doors since 1988.
It started when I was a young mom with two little ones, and I couldn't find the quality childcare I wanted for them. I wanted a place that felt like home, where they'd be safe, loved, and treated like family. So my husband, Terry, and I decided to build it ourselves. We opened our doors with just eight children. Two of them were mine. (Maybe it was meant to be. My first birthday cake was a carousel, and here we are at Kiddie Karrasel.)
I started out in business, in a career that had nothing to do with childcare, so I went back to school to study early childhood education, because children deserved someone who truly understood how they learn and grow. Years of coursework, credentials, and training later, I'm still learning, and I expect the same from my whole team.
Hi, I'm Angie.
Small on purpose
Today we're licensed for 105 children, but we only enroll 65, because quality matters more to me than numbers. Smaller classrooms mean more space to learn through play and more one-on-one time with their teachers. We've earned NAEYC accreditation five times and held it for more than 25 years, the gold standard in early childhood education. But what matters most to me is that every child feels safe, comfortable, and at home here.
Thank you, LeClaire and Beyond
Every teacher who has ever worked here has helped build Kiddie Karrasel, and I'm grateful for every one of them. For 38 years, families from LeClaire and the communities around us have trusted us with what matters most to them. Now children we once cared for are bringing their own children through our doors, and that means the world to me. Kiddie Karrasel has always been a home away from home, and it belongs to all of us.
Family, mine and yours
My greatest joy is still family. I'm blessed with a loving, supportive husband, two sons, two wonderful daughters-in-law, and three beautiful, busy grandchildren who keep me on my toes. And every day I get to share in the joy of your family too.
Come see us. I'd love to show you around!
Fred Rogers
"Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning."
To provide quality care and early education to children six weeks through twelve years of age in a home-like setting. We are committed to providing a learning environment that meets or exceeds the highest state and national accreditation standards, nurtures a professional staff, recognizes individual needs of children and provides support to their families in partnership with varied community resources.
our mission
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We believe children are unique individuals and develop at their own pace. Our purpose is to provide children with developmentally appropriate hands-on learning experiences through play in a home-like environment.
A safe, nurturing, yet creative and stimulating environment is essential for children to test their own ideas and become confident, independent, and inquisitive learners.
No one knows your child better than you, therefore you are a critical part of our teaching team. Using the data gathered from you on your child, teachers plan each child's day to insure individual needs are met. Communication is a vital part of our relationship with parents.
our philosophy
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We seek to build strong partnerships between school and home, between teachers and families and between children and their environments for the richest development of our children, their families, their school and their communities.
At Kiddie Karrasel Academy, our world revolves around your child. Since 1988!