New in-home family day care opens in Glen

This spring, Lisa LaBarre Kurz opened a new state-licensed in home family day care on Glen Ledge Road, in Glen. The daycare is called, Lisa's House. LaBarre Kurz been in buisness in the valley for more than 21 years, providing daycare services on Grove Street in North Conway, then on Ledgwood Road, in No. Conway and some of the children she cared for are now students at Kennett High School.LaBarre Kurz is licensed to care for children 6 weeks to 10 years old. Families come from Albany to Gorham for day care. Many have stayed until kindergarten because of the structure of my program.She said, "I love my job. I have cared for local doctors, principals, teachers, regular working parents and other day care owners' children."A proud mother of three children, all now in their 20s, LaBarre Kurz has been involved in daycare since they were young.Each day is a new day, she said, and she puts a calender out each month with special days on it. For example: the daycare celebrates each child's birthday and holidays, as well as some other days with events like a Mad Hatter Tea Party, Fairy Tale Theater (when we re-enact the fairy tales), school day, library day, (each child gets to take a book home), barbecues, teddy bear picnics, puzzle day, game days, science day, etc. For years she has held an annual summer olympics, with medals, opening and closing ceremonies, flags and athletic events like the balance beam, tee ball, basket ball, running relay, bike race, kit kat break, obstacle course, and red, white and blue ice pops are served along with red and blue juice.Older kids come back for that special day. Outside there are bikes to ride on, a basketball hoop, a little building called the town with a garage and cafe, a sand and water table, slides and a teeter totter.LaBarre Kurz said "We have not had any accidents, except a bump or scrape now and again, abut I try to keep my home accident-free. I am trained in CPR and First Aid and the state requires me to take courses throughout the year. Each child becomes part of my family and they love my now husband Bob Kurz who is a school bus driver for Jackson." Interested families are invited to come visit. For more information, call 383-6851.