The Story Behind A Child’s Choice
At A Child’s Choice, we have spent more than 35 years creating the kind of child care environment we would want for our own families. Since opening on December 6, 1989, our licensed early learning center has served working parents throughout Pinellas Park, St. Petersburg, and surrounding communities with dependable care, kindergarten readiness, and genuine personal attention. We believe children learn best when they feel safe, loved, understood, and excited to walk through the door each morning. That belief has guided every classroom, every program, and every family relationship we have built.
Why We Opened Our Doors
A Child’s Choice began because we saw a gap in local child care. Too many families were choosing between large corporate centers with frequent staff changes and smaller programs that could not always provide the structure, consistency, or full-time schedule working parents needed.
We wanted to offer something different. Our goal was to build a fully licensed, dependable early education center that felt less like a franchise and more like a familiar neighborhood home where children could grow, learn, and feel known. From the beginning, we focused on providing the warmth of a family-run business with the safety, organization, and educational standards parents expect from a professional child care center. That balance remains at the heart of everything we do.
Serving Local Families Since 1989
We first became licensed on December 6, 1989, and we have proudly served local families ever since. Over nearly four decades, A Child’s Choice has grown into a trusted early learning center with the capacity to care for up to 75 children.
Growth has never meant losing our personal approach. Even as classrooms expanded and early education standards changed, we worked hard to preserve the same welcoming, hands-on atmosphere families experienced when we first opened. Many parents know us by name, and we know their children as individuals. That familiarity creates a level of comfort and trust that can be difficult to find in high-turnover child care environments.
A Family Legacy We Never Take for Granted
One of the greatest rewards of our work happens when former students return as adults. Children who once learned their letters, made art projects, and played on our playground now walk back through our doors with children of their own. Those moments remind us why consistency matters so much. A parent who remembers feeling safe here can now introduce their child to the same owners, the same values, and the same sense of belonging they experienced years ago. We never take that trust lightly. Being chosen by multiple generations of the same family is one of the strongest compliments our center can receive, and it motivates us to keep earning that confidence every day.
Led by Experience and Familiar Faces
A Child’s Choice has been led for more than 35 years by owners Angie and Tom. Their daily involvement gives families direct access to the people responsible for the center, the classrooms, the staff, and the overall quality of care.
We’re also proud of experienced educators such as Mrs. Aidreann, who has earned praise from local families for helping children build confidence in behavior, classroom participation, and penmanship. Strong teachers can change the way a child sees learning, and we value educators who understand that responsibility. Our team is warm, patient, practical, and deeply committed to early childhood development. We believe young children need adults who can provide structure without losing kindness and encouragement.
How We Choose Our Teachers
We look for more than credentials when adding someone to our team. Training matters, but so do natural patience, strong instincts, reliability, and a genuine love for helping young children grow.
Our teachers must be willing to build long-term relationships with children and families. We value career commitment because frequent staff turnover can make it harder for children to feel secure, especially during important early developmental years. The right educator knows how to comfort a child, guide behavior, celebrate progress, and communicate honestly with parents. Those qualities help us maintain the familiar and dependable environment families expect from us.
Learning That Builds Kindergarten Readiness
Our Pre-K and Pre-3 programs are thoughtfully designed to prepare children for the next academic step. We focus on early literacy, numbers, classroom routines, listening skills, fine motor development, and the confidence children need to participate in a structured learning environment. ABCs and numbers are important, but we do not believe young children should spend the entire day sitting still. Our curriculum balances focused instruction with movement, creative projects, conversation, music, physical play, and hands-on discovery. This approach helps children practice academic skills without losing the curiosity and energy that make early childhood special. We want learning to feel meaningful, active, and connected to everyday experiences.
Preparing Children for the Future
Kindergarten readiness involves more than recognizing letters or writing a name. Children also need to practice sharing, following directions, expressing their needs, managing frustration, and becoming comfortable in a group setting.
With this in mind, we work on these skills throughout the day through guided activities, classroom routines, free play, and teacher-supported problem-solving. Small social moments often become important learning opportunities when children are given patient guidance. Our goal is to help every child become more independent while still feeling supported. We want them to enter elementary school with a strong academic foundation and the social confidence to use it.
Summer Programs That Children Remember
Our summertime programs bring a different kind of energy to the center. We create special experiences that break up the usual classroom routine and give children exciting opportunities to see, touch, explore, and ask questions.
Past highlights have included live petting zoos, interactive reptile exhibits, and seasonal events that turn an ordinary day into a lasting childhood memory. These activities encourage curiosity while making summer care fun and engaging. We also love creating holiday traditions, including a magical visit from Santa Claus at Christmas. These moments bring children, teachers, and families together in ways that strengthen our community atmosphere.
A Clean and Spacious Place to Grow
Families frequently mention our cleanliness and large play areas when describing their experience with A Child’s Choice. We understand that parents need to feel confident about the environment where their children spend much of the day. Our center is a fully licensed commercial child care facility operating under License #C890185. We follow applicable safety and regulatory requirements while maintaining organized classrooms, clean common areas, and spaces where children have room to move. A well-maintained environment supports both health and learning. Children are more comfortable exploring, creating, and participating when their surroundings feel clean, secure, and thoughtfully arranged.
Built Around
Working Families
We serve many parents who need reliable, full-time child care that fits a real workday. Our operating schedule of 6:30 AM to 5:30 PM is designed to support families balancing jobs, commutes, appointments, and daily responsibilities. We have also worked hard over the years to remain accessible to working-class households. Child care is a major family expense, and we understand how important it is to provide strong value without sacrificing safety, consistency, or educational quality. Our goal is to make dependable early learning easier to manage. Families deserve clear information, honest communication, and a center that respects both their children and their schedules.
Personal Communication
Without Corporate Layers
When a parent has a question or concern, they should not have to work through a distant corporate office. Angie and Tom are actively involved on-site, which means families can speak directly with the people responsible for the center. We address concerns through personal phone calls, face-to-face conversations, and practical solutions. This direct approach helps prevent small misunderstandings from becoming larger problems and gives parents confidence that their voices are being heard. Open communication works best when it goes both ways. We encourage families to share changes, concerns, and important information so our teachers can support each child more effectively.
What Families Can Expect From Us
Our commitment is simple: every child should be safe, loved, intellectually stimulated, and socially prepared for the next stage of school. We take that promise seriously in both our teaching and our daily routines. Parents can expect consistent supervision, caring guidance, age-appropriate learning, clean facilities, and honest communication. We also work to create an atmosphere where children are treated with the same concern and protection we would want for our own. We cannot promise that every day will be perfect, because young children are always growing and learning. We can promise that concerns will be taken seriously and addressed with care.
Your First Visit to A Child’s Choice
The best way to understand our center is to see it for yourself. During a personal tour, families can meet Angie or Tom, view the classrooms and play areas, and learn how our daily routines and curriculum work.
We believe parents should receive clear answers without hidden registration runarounds or high-pressure enrollment tactics. We will explain our process, current availability, classroom expectations, and the information needed to make an informed decision. A personal tour also gives you the chance to observe the atmosphere. You can see how the space feels, how the teachers interact, and whether our center matches what you want for your child.
Frequently Asked Questions
We are best equipped to support children from approximately ages two through five. Classroom placement depends on age, development, current enrollment, and the program that best fits each child’s needs.
Our center operates from 6:30 AM to 5:30 PM. These hours are designed to support local working families who need dependable full-day care during the traditional workweek.
Rates can vary by age group, schedule, and current program availability. We provide clear pricing information directly so families understand costs, registration requirements, and payment expectations before making a decision.
Yes. We operate as a fully licensed commercial child care facility under License #C890185 and follow applicable regulatory health, safety, staffing, and operational requirements.
Our curriculum includes early literacy, numbers, penmanship, listening, classroom routines, fine motor development, social skills, and age-appropriate independence. We combine structured learning with creative and physical play.
We are locally owned and personally managed by Angie and Tom. Families communicate directly with the owners, children benefit from a familiar environment, and concerns do not have to pass through a corporate management structure.
Yes. Our summer programming includes hands-on experiences and special events designed to keep children active and engaged. Past activities have included petting zoos, reptile exhibits, creative projects, and seasonal celebrations.
Because our owners are on-site and directly involved, concerns are addressed quickly through phone calls or face-to-face conversations. We listen carefully, review the situation, and work toward a practical solution.
Absolutely. We encourage parents to schedule a personal tour, meet our team, see the classrooms, and ask detailed questions about routines, curriculum, cleanliness, safety, and availability.
Call us at (727) 541-4874 or email [email protected]. We will provide current classroom availability, explain the next steps, and help determine whether our program is a good fit.
A Place Where Children Become Family
For more than 35 years, A Child’s Choice has been more than a child care center. We have been a familiar first classroom, a dependable partner for working parents, and a trusted part of family stories that now span generations. Our commitment has stayed the same since 1989: provide a safe, clean, loving environment where children can learn, play, build confidence, and prepare for school. Call us at (727) 541-4874 or schedule a personal tour to meet our team and see why so many families continue to choose us.