Parent's Corner
Blair and Kristen Hendrick
With the birth of our first child came the normal feelings of immense love and thus protection that all parents have when choosing a place to entrust the care of their children. However, in our case, it also came with a shocking diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis which intensified our protective parental instincts. Having a child that required a few extra precautions and accommodations made choosing a daycare even more difficult for us. I remember asking friends for recommendations, making a list of those and then touring the ones on the top of our list. After visiting Tabernacle, it was a no brainer where we would send her. Several things stood out to us after our first visit to Tabernacle.
1. Cleanliness:
Seeing how well they cleaned their classrooms each day relieved me. We have to be cautious of germs so you can imagine how worried I was about sending my child into a daycare setting, which by nature is full of them. We intentionally toured daycares at the end of the day to see their classroom cleanup routine and Tabernacle stood out above the rest – by a long shot!
2. Godliness:
The teachers we met were cheerful and engaging and showed a true passion for serving God through the childcare ministry. As our daughter has grown and moved through the classes at Tabernacle, each of the teachers continue to show passion for not only teaching academics but also God’s word. I feel like they truly love each child in their class as if they were one of their own. They’ve treated our daughter Heidi with the same love as the other children despite the trouble of having to take those special precautions and accommodations for her health.
3. Tadpoles App:
Any parent is a little cautious leaving their child in the care of another person for the first time, especially first-time parents like we were; so, the tadpoles app was something that excited me. Being able to check in on her each day, see that her medications were being given, and looking at how happy she was in the pictures made it so much easier for me to leave her. I still love seeing the pictures and what she’s learning each day!
4. Safety:
The lock requiring codes to enter daycare and how serious they take the list of approved people able to pick up your child is reassuring to me. There are so many sad things that happen to children in school these days so these added security measures make me feel better.
Now, with baby number two on the way, we know exactly who we will entrust with his care. I can’t say enough about each of the staff we’ve encountered at Tabernacle. Their genuine love for children and the Lord is evident. The open line of communication is great; I’ve had all of my daughter’s teachers cell phone numbers and could easily connect with them (and vice versa) when needed. The administrator Tony and office manager Renee are also great at communicating with me when something arises. I know I can reach out to Tony at any time of the day if I have any concerns and he’s always quick to respond. I look forward to sending our new son to Tabernacle without reservations.
Blair and Kristen Hendrick