Name: Donna Phelan
Kid Country Childcare is a family-owned business that opened in June 2002.  Loretta Gallagher and Donna Phelan own the facility and divide the responsibilities.  Miss Donna has been the director since the Center opened and is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Kid Country Childcare.  She holds an associate’s degree from Joliet Junior College. 

Name: Loretta Gallagher
Miss Loretta provides the hot, nutritious meals to our students, along with keeping the facility in tip-top shape. 

Michelle Eagan is the assistant director at Kid Country, providing necessary support to families and staff.  She is in charge of the curriculum and special activities at Kid Country.  Miss Michelle holds a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and has been working in childcare since 2004.

Miss Courtney is our Yellow Ducks lead teacher.  She has 32 credits towards an early childhood education degree and has been working in childcare since 2010. Our Yellow Ducks room is licensed for eight babies ranging in age from six weeks to fifteen months.  This room is designed to be a warm, loving environment for our youngest children.  We balance caring for the needs of the babies with providing age-appropriate activities. 

Miss Melissa leads our Purple Parrots classroom.  She holds an associate’s degree in early childhood education and has worked at Kid Country since 2004. Our Purple Parrot classroom is licensed for fifteen children ranging in age from 15 to 30 months.  Assisting children as they develop from babies into expressive toddlers is the goal of this room. 

Miss Crystal leads our Red Robins classroom.  She has an associate’s degree in early childhood education and has been working in childcare since 2002. The Red Robins classroom is licensed for sixteen children ranging in age from 24 to 42 months.  Potty-training and early preschool skills are the focus of our Robins classroom.

Miss Jamie is our Green Frog leader.  She has completed 73 hours towards an early childhood education degree.  Miss Jamie has been teaching in childcare since 2006. Our preschool program is play-based and uses many hands-on activities that focus on the social and emerging preschool skills appropriate for this age. The Green Frogs classroom is licensed for twenty children.

Miss Chris is our leader for the Orange Owls.  She has over 30 college credits in early childhood education, along with being certified as a Child Care Professional from the National Child Care Association.  Miss Chris has been working in childcare since 2000. Our pre-k program is a play-based program that engages the children in a variety of hands-on activities designed to prepare them for kindergarten.  Our Orange Owls classroom is licensed for twenty children. 

Miss Rhonda leads both of our Blue Gills programs.  She holds an associate’s degree in early childhood education and has been working in childcare since 1993.  Our Blue Gills program is for children that need preschool but not childcare services.  The four-year-old children attend on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings engaging in a variety of activities to prepare them for kindergarten.  The three-year-old children attend on Tuesdays and Thursdays and focus on the social and emerging preschool skills appropriate for this age.  We are licensed for twenty children in each group.

Miss Bailey is leading our Blue Dolphins.  She is working on a degree in elementary education at Joliet Junior College and has been working at Kid Country since 2010.  The Blue Dolphins program offers before and after-school programs, along with a half-day kindergarten program.  We are licensed for a total of 30 children.