WILLIAMSBURG – The WISC Kids Club is expanding its early childhood offerings with a new infant care program and a music partnership designed to enhance learning for young children.
The program now welcomes infants as young as six weeks old, addressing a growing need for child care options for families with babies and toddlers.
“Both Courtney and I, as infant teachers as well at other centers, and we just love, we love all of the age groups, but the infant and toddler age group is especially exciting because that’s when they are just, you know, brand new and really starting to learn and explore,” said Samantha Carrillo, director of WISC Kids Club. “We also know from experience that most infant and toddler classrooms are, because they can accept fewer kids, they’re usually harder to get into and usually require a lot more of a wait list.”
She added that many families struggle to find care for children in those early stages.
“We really recognize the need there is in the community and wanted to help, help serve some families in the community who are looking for care and maybe have been on a wait list for a year,” she said.
Assistant director Courtney said the shortage of infant care affects working parents across the community.
“I feel like everywhere we turn, we’re seeing moms in need of care and it’s, you know, the only way to keep the community moving is if the children are cared for, the parents will keep working and if the children can’t be cared for, the parents can’t work,” she said. “So we felt like the community was hitting a block there with everyone on a wait list and we knew that we could open these rooms and not have a wait list.”
The program officially started last Monday, and welcomed its first toddler the day the interview took place, beginning with families already connected to the preschool.
“Our first toddler that’s starting with us happens to have a sibling in an older preschool classroom… we’ve been working with this family for five years now or so, maybe even six,” said Samantha.
The new infant program follows the center’s core philosophy focused on confidence-building and exploration.
“Our biggest philosophy is that we’re going to be growing and building confidence and kindness,” Samantha said. “We want to have a playful exploration type of environment where children first fall in love with the idea of education, which is going to help build their confidence in education later on.”
In addition to the infant expansion, the center has launched a weekly music program through a collaboration with Mosley Music.
The partnership began when a representative from the music program visited the facility while exploring sponsorship opportunities at the WISC.
“She was touring the program looking to potentially become a sponsor for the WISC,” Courtney said. “Instead, we ended up trading the sponsorship for some classes for our kiddos.”
Now instructors from Mosley Music visit the preschool every Thursday to lead lessons that incorporate music and movement.
“They come out every Thursday and our kids get to have a music lesson now and they have been loving it,” Courtney said.
Educators say the music component offers important developmental benefits for young learners.
“It helps with their cognitive development, helps with making those little connections within their brain,” Courtney said. “Music plays a pretty crucial role in enhancing early education and it really stimulates the brain regions that are associated with language and memory.”
She added that the lessons also support emotional development.
“I think the biggest thing for us is the continued expression and the emotional expression, which of course flows right back into the confidence of the child,” Courtney said. “And if they’re confident expressing themselves, they can do anything.”
The center, located within the Williamsburg Indoor Sports Complex, already incorporates an early learning curriculum along with opportunities for physical activity through soccer classes, indoor play areas, turf fields and nature trails.
Leaders say the new programs align with the organization’s broader mission to serve families in the community.
“We just want to help as many families as we can,” Samantha said.
She added that expanding infant care allows the center to support parents during one of the most challenging stages of child care.
“We know we’re going to be able to help so many more families,” she said. “Not only just with giving them care, but with giving them good care, and hopefully care that they can feel comfortable leaving their six week old baby with, because that requires a lot of trust.”
To learn more, visit thewisc.com/kids-club.
