My name is Brooke Johnson I am the owner/manager of Little Ras-kel’s . I grew up in Monticello, Indiana taking Child Development with Mrs. Burkhardt in high school and always having the dream of owning my own daycare. I graduated in 1998 and went on to obtain my Associate's Degree in Early Childhood Education from Ivy Tech in Lafayette, IN. I believe in continued education and as such, I am currently working toward receiving my Bachelor's Degree from Ball State University. In addition to attending Ball State, I ensure that I, as well as my staff, stay current on new rules and proper practices through trainings provided through Indiana Association for Child Resources and Referral (IACCR). I have been in this field all my life; beginning with traditional babysitting in my teen years, and now, I am a single mother of three beautiful girls, running four child care facilities, and I am finally making my dream come true. I love my job!!!
My staff is amazing! I hand pick each of my employee's, making sure to employ only those I deem most capable of providing the environment I envision each child deserves during their time at our facilities. The Little Ras-Kel's staff is more than just a group of employees, though, it is a family. Being part of a family means communication, compromise, honesty, and team work. It is the highest priority of each of my child care locations, to ensure the safety and well being of our children, all of my staff are required to have a criminal background check, fingerprinting, drug test, tb test, and physical prior to employment. In addition, I require that all of my staff members are trained in safe sleep, child abuse and neglect, and foundations and 17 other specific trainings; requiring certificates of completion. All staff must be CPR, First aid, and universal precautions certified and are updated yearly. I ask that every employee have 20 hours of ongoing training, in addition to hiring requirements, each year.
At Little Ras-kel’s, we “Laugh and play all day!” It is our goal to nurture and love children of all ages. It is our job to provide them with .a safe place to play and explore. Currently at the Playhouse we focus on infants and toddlers up to age 3. This location is set up for younger children, to give them ample safe space to explore, crawl, walk, and grow. We equip them with self-help skills and familiarize them with the potty, circle time, and structured learning time,to easily transition to the Learning center; when appropriate. At thr Learning Center, we focus on children three through five introducing more structured time, we currently offer an all day preschool curriculum with kindergarten readiness, in a faith based, structured setting. At this location we also focuses on children of school age. This facility is open for before and after school care. This facility is open for full time care during school breaks and holidays. We offer daily age appropriate curriculum that is adapted to the needs of each individual child at each location. Kind words and positive reinforcement are used to encourage children to be problem solvers and talk through the things they feel. Little Ras-kel’s has an open door policy and parents are welcome to visit anytime.
My staff is amazing! I hand pick each of my employee's, making sure to employ only those I deem most capable of providing the environment I envision each child deserves during their time at our facilities. The Little Ras-Kel's staff is more than just a group of employees, though, it is a family. Being part of a family means communication, compromise, honesty, and team work. It is the highest priority of each of my child care locations, to ensure the safety and well being of our children, all of my staff are required to have a criminal background check, fingerprinting, drug test, tb test, and physical prior to employment. In addition, I require that all of my staff members are trained in safe sleep, child abuse and neglect, and foundations and 17 other specific trainings; requiring certificates of completion. All staff must be CPR, First aid, and universal precautions certified and are updated yearly. I ask that every employee have 20 hours of ongoing training, in addition to hiring requirements, each year.
At Little Ras-kel’s, we “Laugh and play all day!” It is our goal to nurture and love children of all ages. It is our job to provide them with .a safe place to play and explore. Currently at the Playhouse we focus on infants and toddlers up to age 3. This location is set up for younger children, to give them ample safe space to explore, crawl, walk, and grow. We equip them with self-help skills and familiarize them with the potty, circle time, and structured learning time,to easily transition to the Learning center; when appropriate. At thr Learning Center, we focus on children three through five introducing more structured time, we currently offer an all day preschool curriculum with kindergarten readiness, in a faith based, structured setting. At this location we also focuses on children of school age. This facility is open for before and after school care. This facility is open for full time care during school breaks and holidays. We offer daily age appropriate curriculum that is adapted to the needs of each individual child at each location. Kind words and positive reinforcement are used to encourage children to be problem solvers and talk through the things they feel. Little Ras-kel’s has an open door policy and parents are welcome to visit anytime.