The Blue Jay Buddies Daycare & Preschool

10/08/2025

🚨 Redwood County — We Need YOU! 🚨 Redwood County

Child care touches families, employers, and the whole community — and your voice matters. Over the past few months, we’ve met with local child care providers and gathered feedback through surveys. Now it’s time to come together to review what we’ve learned and start building real solutions for the challenges facing child care in our county.

Join us for the Rural Child Care Innovation Program Town Hall:
📅 Tuesday, October 28, 2025
📍 Redwood Area Community Center
🍽️ Free meal provided

✨ At this Town Hall, you’ll:

Hear what providers and families have shared about child care needs in Redwood County.

Collaborate on innovative ideas to strengthen our local child care system.

Help shape solutions that support families, providers, and our community’s future.

✅ Register now using that QR code on the poster to save your spot!

💬 Still haven’t shared your input? There’s time!
We are still seeking input from parents, providers, employers, and community members with experience in Redwood County child care. Every response helps us identify challenges and build better solutions.

Child Care Center Director Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CCCD-RedwoodCounty

Family Child Care Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FCC-RedwoodCounty

Employer Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Employer-RedwoodCounty

Parent/Caregiver Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Parent-Employee-RedwoodCounty

Your participation — whether through the Town Hall or a survey — will help shape the future of child care in Redwood County. Let’s fill the room on October 28 and make our voices heard! 💪🌟

08/27/2025

🌟 Redwood County Needs YOUR Input! 🌟

Child care touches nearly every family, employer, and provider in our community — and your voice matters. Redwood County is collecting input to better understand and support this critical sector.

👉 Please take a few minutes to complete the survey that best matches your role and experience in Redwood County child care:

🔹 Child Care Center Director Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CCCD-RedwoodCounty

🔹 Family Child Care Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/FCC-RedwoodCounty

🔹 Employer Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Employer-RedwoodCounty

🔹 Parent/Caregiver Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Parent-Employee-RedwoodCounty

Your input is vital in helping shape solutions that make a real difference for families and businesses across Redwood County.

💡 Don’t just scroll — take action today and share with your network! Together, we can strengthen child care in Redwood County. 💪

07/23/2025

🎒📅 Just in time for the new school year — One Preschool Spot Available!

The Blue Jay Crew is gearing up for another school year full of growth, play, and meaningful connection — and we have ONE preschool opening for a child age 2 or older! 💙

Our program follows the St. John Lutheran School calendar, making it an ideal fit for school staff families, though it often works well for year-round working families too.

🕊️ At The Blue Jay Buddies Child Care & Preschool, we believe in:
✨ Building courage and independence
📚 Supporting early learning with age-appropriate school time activities
🌳 Spending plenty of time outdoors every day
🌎 Exploring our community through field trips to the post office, bank, nursing home, and more
🤝 Encouraging natural social development through shared experiences in a close-knit group
🏡 Fostering connection in a family-style environment where kids grow up together

This isn’t just childcare — it’s a place where your child can thrive, belong, and become their best self. 💪👣

📩 Message today to learn more or schedule a visit — this spot is likely to fill fast as we get ready to launch our new school year!

Send a message to learn more

07/10/2025

🎒✨ One Preschool Spot Available! ✨🎒
Are you looking for more than just daycare? At The Blue Jay Buddies Child Care & Preschool, we offer a school-year program that builds courage, independence, and lifelong connections — all in a nurturing, family-style setting. 💙

🕊️ We have ONE preschool opening for a child 2 years or older — and we’re looking for just the right family to join our Blue Jay Crew! This spot is a great fit for school staff families (we follow the St. John Lutheran School calendar) but often works well for year-round working families too.

🌱 What makes our program special?
✨ Emphasis on independence & life skills
📚 Age-appropriate “school time” woven into our daily routine
🌳 Daily outdoor play in all seasons
🏡 Family child care atmosphere that feels like home
🌎 Frequent community field trips (post office, nursing home, bank & more!)
🤝 A tight-knit group that becomes like family

We don’t just “watch” kids — we empower them to explore, grow, and belong. 💪👣

📩 Message me today if you'd like to learn more or schedule a visit. Let’s find out if we’re the right fit for your family!

06/05/2025

🐰📚 Reading Rabbits is back!
We’re thrilled to welcome Allysa and her cuddly companions back to Belview this summer!

Each session includes:
📖 2 engaging books
🐇 2 adorable bunnies
🎉 45 minutes of fun, learning, and gentle play

🗓 Join us at 10 AM on:
• June 12th
• July 18th
• August 15th

✨This FREE program is made possible by a generous member of the Belview Booster Club — thank you for supporting our little learners!

05/07/2025

04/25/2025

🌼 DandiLION fun in full bloom! 🌼
Today each of the kids got their very own dandiLION to decorate — and what a beautiful learning experience it turned into!

What may seem like pesky weeds to us are pure magic to little ones. Hunting for just the right dandelions sparked their curiosity and observational skills, while carefully threading the stems through the holes worked those fine motor muscles. 💪✋

This simple activity encouraged:
✨ Focus and patience
✨ Nature appreciation
✨ Hand-eye coordination
✨ Sensory exploration
✨ Creativity and pride in their work

Learning through play is our favorite kind of learning! 🦁💛

04/25/2025

🚓🐾 Surprise on our stroll today!
Officer Anderson and his K-9 partner, Echo, made a special stop to say hello during our daily walk—and our crew couldn’t have been more thrilled!

These two are familiar faces on our neighborhood route, and the kids absolutely love waving at them whenever we pass. Getting to meet them up close was truly the icing on the cake! 🎂💛

A huge thank you to Officer Anderson and Echo for taking the time to brighten our day. It means the world to these little ones (and to us grownups too)! 🐶👮‍♂️💕

04/24/2025

When misting the plants turns into a friendly indoor water fight 😂 laughter for days 😜 now if only I could teach them to mop the floor 😉

04/15/2025

A BIG thank you to our friends at Circle Back Secondhand Thrift Store in Renville for the donation of a real cash register! 🧾✨

The girls jumped right into dramatic play—ringing up “purchases,” printing receipts, and taking turns as customer and cashier. 🛍️👧 But behind all the fun, there’s some amazing learning happening too!

Through play like this, the kids are building: 🔢 Early math skills – counting, number recognition, and simple addition
❤️ Social-emotional development – taking turns, problem-solving, and teamwork
🔤 Literacy skills – reading buttons, writing pretend lists, recognizing symbols
✋ Fine motor control – pushing buttons, handling paper, and organizing items

It’s everyday moments like this that build a strong foundation for lifelong learning!
We’re so grateful for a community that supports our little learners! 🌟

04/01/2025

I have been asked to participate in what my family's know as RCCIP. I thought I would share this newsletter article to explain a little more about what that is.

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RURAL CHILD CARE INNOVATION PROGRAM NOTIFICATION by Grady Holtberg, Economic Development Coordinator

Childcare is an economic driver for rural communities across the United States, but many communities are facing shortages of high-quality childcare. Unfortunately, Redwood County is no exception to this detrimental shortage. As of June 2024, Redwood County had an estimated need of over 190 qualified childcare spots, according to the most recent First Children's Finance Childcare Needs Summary. Many new and expecting parents are experiencing the impacts of this shortage firsthand as childcare spots grow increasingly scarce, and costs for providers are at an all-time high. The Redwood County EDA recognizes this critical issue and is taking action to address chilcare needs across the County. In October 2024, the Redwood County EDA applied to participate in the First Children's Finance Rural Child Care Innovation Program (RCCIP), and we are excited to announce that Redwood County was selected to participate! The Rural Child Care Innovation Program is a community engagement process designed to address the challenges of childcare in Greater Minnesota. The RCCIP is based on the fundamental idea that rural communities are greater than their size in numbers and greater that their current challenges. By mobilizing and empowering rural communities, the landscape of early care and education in rural America is evolving. The Core Team that will be representing Redwood County is comprised of community members with diverse backgrounds from all areas of the county, to ensure that the needs of all Redwood County constituents are addressed. The Redwood County RCCIP Core Team will participate in the 18-24-month community engagement process to identify the local childcare need and challenges, explore right-sized solutions which address the childcare shortage, and implement goals that are identified throughout this process. The Core Team will be engaging the community in a wide variety of ways during this process, which will include a town hall meeting, childcare provider appreciation event, education opportunities and much more.
Updates and information regarding these events and program initiatives will be shared on [Redwood County Economic Development] various media platforms so stay tuned for more! If you would like to learn more about the Rural Child Care Innovation Program please reach out to Grady Holtberg at 507-637-1122 or by email at [email protected] for more information.

03/31/2025

🌱 Planting Seeds Today! 🌱

Today we got our hands a little dirty—in the best way! The kids helped start seeds, carefully tucking each one into soil with so much care and curiosity.

Planting seeds isn't just about gardening—it's a rich learning experience full of early childhood developmental benefits:

🧠 Cognitive Growth: As children plant and care for seeds, they observe changes over time, learn about cause and effect, and build early science knowledge in a meaningful, hands-on way.

💪 Fine Motor Skills: Scooping soil, placing tiny seeds, and watering with control all help strengthen those little muscles needed for writing, cutting, and other important tasks.

💬 Language Development: As we talked about what seeds need to grow, the children practiced using new vocabulary and asking thoughtful questions.

💞 Social-Emotional Skills: Experiences like this teach patience, responsibility, and the joy of nurturing something over time. There’s pride in seeing something grow because of your own effort—and that’s powerful!

💬 One child even whispered, “I can’t wait to check on mine tomorrow.” 🥹 Watching these little gardeners bloom right alongside their seedlings is such a gift.

We can’t wait to see what sprouts next! 🌿💚