By Frank Sinatra, AAP Editor

A new day care has opened up along Haddonfield Rd. that has aspirations to be more than just a 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. facility. Pennsauken Mayor Rick Taylor recently cut the ribbon to officially open the ABC’s of Learning Child Care Center, located on the property of The Rising Community Fellowship and Outreach Center at 3465 Haddonfield Rd. The business rents out significant space from the church and has a capacity to care for over 50 children.

The ABC’s of Learning Child Care Center is the brainchild of Demina Miller, an early childhood educator who previously worked for many years as a head teacher at a local child care center. The day care is a real family affair. Demina is joined by her sister, Patricia Eubanks, who had ran her own successful day care; they have over 20 years of child care experience between them. Their mother, Tuwanda Anderson, and sister, Aurelia Anderson, make up the business side of the equation.

Miller explained that the goal of the ABC’s of Learning is to become “a child care center that also offered programs for the community.”

“It’s about the children: watching them learn, watching them grow,” says Miller. “It’s also offering a little bit of outreach for people, being able to help provide families with canned goods or groceries if they need it.”

“This is Demina’s vision and she enlisted us to join her to make it happen,” adds Tuwanda.

The day care’s foundation is to provide quality education to toddlers, preschool and school-age children. Curriculum includes Spanish lessons three times a week; teaching healthier eating with nutritious snacks and meals throughout the day; and stressing the importance of exercise through access to a full gymnasium. “Being healthy, playing games, education, that plays a big part [in a child’s development],” explains Eubanks.

The ABC’s of Learning also offers programs to parents, such as ESL classes; there will also be a summer camp for when school lets out. And as the business grows, the staff wants to offer even more: from exercise and nutrition classes to food and clothing drives.

“We want to be pillars of the community,” says Aurelia Anderson. “Kids are here from 6 to 6. We want to incorporate a family sense of not just the ABC’s of learning but the ABC’s of life. We want to provide that for people.”

The ABC’s of Learning Child Care Center is open Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. For more information, visit http://abclearningllc.com.