Lakin Foundation Child Development Center of Griswold

02/27/2026

What a FUN week celebrating FFA Week with GCSD! 💙💛

We were so excited to participate alongside our school community and support all the fun happening at GCSD. Our little learners had a blast joining in on the dress-up days, and Wednesday was definitely the highlight of the week! We loved having the GCSD High School students come play with us — the smiles, laughter, and special connections made it a day to remember! 🥰

Being part of the GCSD community means so much to us, and we love it when our youngest learners get to feel connected to the bigger school family.

Take a look at all the fun we had this week! 📸✨

Next week we’re kicking off Read Across America Week 📚🎉 and we can’t wait! Each day will be a dress-up day — check out the attached schedule and get those outfits ready!

02/25/2026

These kids had so much today! Thank you to all the FFA kids for coming over and making our morning so much fun!

02/23/2026

02/20/2026

❄️ The snow may have fallen, but we are making the BEST of it at LFCDC today! ❄️

Half the day is already behind us, and it’s been full of cozy, snowy fun!

We enjoyed:
🎨 Play-Doh creations
🍿 Yummy finger foods
🎬 A fun movie
💙 Lots of smiles, laughter, and warm indoor memories

Snow days might look different, but they sure are special around here!

✨ Don’t forget to check out our Dress-Up Days for next week — we’re participating in FFA Dress-Up Week and can’t wait to see everyone show their spirit! 🐄🌾

02/20/2026

Tomorrow calls for hot cocoa, snowball fights and sleeping in.

NO SCHOOL TOMORROW (FEBRUARY 20)

Stay home, stay warm, and tag us in your best snow day creations!

02/19/2026

🌟 Staff Spotlight 🌟

Meet Jerzey Franzen!

This spotlight is a special one. Jerzey deserves more appreciation than we can even put into words!

Jerzey is our Staff Support, and she has truly been a blessing to our center. While she doesn’t count in ratio, she absolutely counts in impact. 💛

Every single day, she steps into classrooms during lunch to “reset” the space — cleaning, organizing, and preparing everything for nap time. She takes the stress of tidying and sanitizing off our teachers so they can focus on what matters most: the kids.

And speaking of the kids — they LOVE her. Whether she’s helping, chatting, or just being present, she brings a calm and positive energy that makes a difference.

This staff support role was inspired by Ty Talks (highly recommend if you’re in childcare!), and we are so thankful we implemented it. Jerzey has shown just how powerful this position can be for staff morale and classroom flow.

Jerzey, thank you for:

✨ Stepping in wherever needed

✨ Supporting our teachers without hesitation

✨ Keeping our classrooms reset and ready

💙 A Little About Jerzey

👩‍🏫 Position: Staff Support
📅 Started at Lakin: September 2025
🏡 Hometown: Griswold, Iowa

Jerzey is a Griswold native who enjoys working, fishing, arts and crafts, and spending time with friends and family. She brings a caring heart and positive energy to our center each day!

🧹 Favorite Part of the Job

Jerzey enjoys helping keep things clean and organized and is especially looking forward to spending time hanging out with the kids every day!

🎉 Fun Facts About Jerzey

🎂 Birthday: February 22nd
🎨 Favorite Color: Pink
🥤 Favorite Drink: Diet Coke
🎄 Favorite Holiday: Christmas
🐱 Favorite Animal: Cats
🍦 Favorite Smell: Vanilla

02/18/2026

💛✨ National Random Acts of Kindness Day ✨💛

Today, we celebrated National Random Acts of Kindness Day by “catching” our LFCDC kiddos being kind all throughout the day! 🥰

We saw…
👏 Great listening during circle time
🎨 Focus and teamwork during craft time
🧩 Kind play during centers
🤝 Sharing toys and using respectful words
🛝 Taking turns on the slides and steps outside

And one extra sweet act of kindness today… 🍩💛
Miss Haylee celebrated her 3rd birthday and shared donuts with her friends! What a thoughtful way to spread kindness on such a special day! 🎉🎂

Kindness isn’t just something we celebrate one day a year — it’s something we practice every single day at LFCDC. Watching our children grow in patience, cooperation, and empathy makes us so proud! 💙🧡

Way to go, friends! Keep spreading kindness wherever you go! 🌟

02/17/2026

💖💖 WE HAVE A WINNER!! 💖💖

Thank you to everyone who participated in our Conversation Heart Guessing Game! We loved seeing all the guesses and excitement! 🍬✨

The total number of CONVERSATION HEARTS was 138_… and our winner is…

🎉🎉Macie McDaniel 🎉🎉

Congratulations!!! You won our fun basket filled with yummy goodies! 🧺🍫🍭

Stay tuned… we always have something exciting coming up! 😉

02/17/2026

☀️🎉 SUMMER PROGRAM OPENINGS – ENROLL NOW! 🎉☀️

Looking for a FUN, structured, and engaging summer for your school-age child? We’ve got you covered!

We are open 6:00 AM – 6:00 PM, providing reliable, full-day care that works for busy families.

Our Summer Program is packed with:
🎨 Hands-on activities
🧪 STEM projects
🌳 Outdoor adventures
🎉 Themed weeks
🚌 Field Trip Fridays
👫 Friendship, structure, and tons of memory-making fun!

✨ Full-time spots available
✨ Limited part-time spots available – these will go FAST!

👉 New families:
Enroll directly through the Procare link on our page.

👉 Currently enrolled families:
✔️ Ensure paperwork is updated
✔️ Submit your child’s summer schedule by May 1, 2026

💲 Tuition is a simple weekly flat rate — consistent care you can count on.

This isn’t just summer care — it’s a summer full of growth, connection, adventure, and unforgettable memories.

📩 Message us with questions or secure your spot today!

02/14/2026

💗 Happy Valentine’s Day from our Lakin Littles!

Yestersay our center was full of love, laughter, and little hugs! ❤️

We also treated our amazing staff to a small snack table as a token of appreciation — because the love, patience, and dedication they pour into our kiddos every single day does not go unnoticed. 💕

02/13/2026

Staff Spotlight: Macy Rush ✨

We are excited to introduce one of our amazing team members — Macy Rush!

Macy joined Lakin in January as one of our High School Staff Members, and we are so thankful to have her!

💙 About Macy
Macy is a junior at Griswold High School. She loves spending time with her family and friends, showing lambs, and being out in the barn. Her strong work ethic and caring heart shine through in everything she does!

🍎 What She Loves Most About Her Job
Macy says her favorite part of working at Lakin is watching the kids learn new skills, build friendships, and of course… making her smile! 🥰

🎉 Fun Facts About Macy
🎂 Birthday: October 14
💗 Favorite Color: Pink
🥤 Favorite Drink: Dr. Pepper
🎆 Favorite Holiday: 4th of July
🐶 Favorite Animal: Dogs
🕯 Favorite Smell: Mahogany Teakwood

We are so proud to have Macy as part of our Lakin family. Thank you for your positivity, patience, and the joy you bring to our classrooms every day! 💛

02/11/2026

🌟 ROOM SPOTLIGHT: YOUNGSTERS (Ages 3–4) 🌟

Our Youngsters Room is a place where curiosity grows, independence builds, and learning comes to life every single day! 💫
We’re excited to share a staffing update that strengthens this classroom even more. Miss Caroline, who has been our incredible School-Age Lead, is stepping into the role of Youngsters Lead Teacher. Her experience, leadership, and consistency make her a perfect fit to guide our 3–4-year-olds during this important stage of development.
And don’t worry — Miss Sabrina is still with us and continues to be a valued part of the Youngsters classroom as an Assistant Teacher, providing familiar support and continuity for the children. 💕

✨ What makes our Youngsters room special?

✔️ A renewed focus on consistent, structured lesson plan implementation aligned with developmental goals
✔️ Strong routines that support confidence and independence
✔️ Purposeful, hands-on learning through guided play
✔️ Clear expectations and daily structure children can count on

We are so proud of the growth happening in this room and can’t wait for families to see all the exciting things ahead. 💙

📚✨ The Youngsters are learning, thriving, and ready for what’s next!