A Fruitvale woman with a passion for children has opened up a day care in her home.
“I just love kids and mine are all grown up,” laughed Maureen Trach. “I miss watching all the exciting things they did for the first time.”
Maureen’s Family Child Care offers a kid-friendly environment geared toward children two to seven years old.
The day care set up on the bottom floor of Trach’s home has a miniature kitchen table, low coat racks and a ton of different activities – including art supplies, playing cards, dolls and books.
She has set up a couple toddler beds for naptime and is equipped with safety gear like a fire extinguisher and first aid kit.
Trach says offering care from the comfort of her home sets a relaxing tone for kids, who can watch deer prance in her yard in the morning and help bake cookies in the afternoon.
This is the second day care for Trach, who ran a similar business out of her Trail home about three years ago before her daughter became ill. But with good health, comes new beginnings, and now the family has relocated to a larger home in Fruitvale ideal for her business.
“I really want to contribute to my community,” said Trach, eager for her facility to come alive. “I’m the first person to do day care on the north side of (Fruitvale’s) train tracks.”
Trach launched her business with support from her landlord, who helped renovate the bottom floor into a kid zone, and her husband Clayton Cure, and children Kathleen and Zachary.
Her licensed facility is set up for child-care subsidy, meaning families with a lower income can seek government funding toward their child’s care.
Child care costs $45 for an eight-hour day or $25 for a half-day, which includes healthy snacks but parents are asked to pack their child’s lunch.
Open from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. until 9:30 p.m. Fridays, Maureen’s Family Child Care can have up to two kids from separate families at one time or multiple siblings from the same family.
For more information on Maureen’s Family Child Care, contact 367-7086.