Childcare

Kiddin' Around isn't your ordinary day care center. This drop-in facility is the kind of place little ones never to want to leave!

After signing up for an annual membership, which is required, parents are issued two electronically coded cards. These cards, along with a photo ID, are required to check a child into or out of the facility.

Created by two entrepreneurial moms, Kiddin' Around Playcare has a movie theatre, a mini-basketball court, video games, and a huge climbing treehouse smack dab in the center of the building.

It's the perfect place to drop off your kids when you have appointments around town. This isn't a full-time day care facility though, so don't plan on leaving a child here all day.

Kiddin' Around provides a mid-morning and afternoon snack. Lunch and dinner can be purchased for $3, or may be brought by the parent(s). Friday and Saturday are pizza nights.

Adventure Kids Playcare is a unique drop-in child care and entertainment center for children ages six weeks to 12 years old.

Kids can play, explore, and learn in a safe and secure environment while parents enjoy shopping, dining, or running errands.

MommyMixer is a networking service that brings together moms looking for occasional help and university students looking for fun college jobs.

Through events called mixers, moms and students meet in a relaxed, casual atmosphere where they can mix and mingle. Moms can interview multiple candidates in a small time frame (about an hour), while candidates can meet multiple moms at once and create their own babysitting schedules. Visit the website to register for the next event.

Mom's Best Friend is an agency providing nannies, a sitter service, newborn care specialists, housekeepers, chefs and other household help.

A Nanny on the Net assists families looking to find in-home, full-time nannies to help in the care and development of their children. The organization provides personalized service to help find the right fit for nannies and families.

Childcare providers have more than three years of professional childcare experience, and all nannies must be CPR/first-aid certified.

Information on how to develop an employment contract, providing health insurance, and payroll and tax information is also offered by the service.

Mom's Best Friend is an agency providing nannies, a sitter service, newborn care specialists, housekeepers, chefs and other household help.

Pam's Play Place & Preschool is a 24-hour licensed child care in a home environment. The day care offers a ratio of one adult to three children.

A participant of the USDA Government food program, this day care offers full-time, part-time, drop-in, before and after school care, evenings, overnights, parents' night out, and extended care.

This parent-owned online directory of childcare options includes in-home providers, nannies, childcare centers, and babysitters, serving infants through school-age children. The website also offers links to helpful articles on parenting, state oversight agencies, and more.

The database is searchable by zip code, children's ages, and type of care required. Results include contact information; a description of the services offered; the staff, philosophy, licensing, and facilities of the provider; and hours of operation. Helpful icons beside search matches indicate which providers offer drop-in services and off-hours care; some listings include photos.

A very minimal amount of information can be gathered from a free search of the site - name of daycare, how many children of various ages are cared for by the provider, address, and phone number. To get additional information - hours of operation, website address, photos, etc. - parents must subscribe.

A note of caution: Listed providers are not screened, so while the site is a great starting point in a search for childcare, it's imperative that parents check out claims regarding licensing, staff, and facilities.