by Betsy Simon
The Sentinel-Record

HOT SPRINGS, Ark. (AP) — In nearly every nook and cranny of Linden Street Child Care Center lies a furry, four-legged surprise.

The rat, Peanut Butter, and Flower, a lovable potbellied pig, were introduced to the daycare by Sonja Huff, a former Mountain Pine Elementary School first-grade teacher, who assumed the childcare director’s position at LSCCC, l276 Linden St., more than a year ago.

“The principal at Mountain Pine is the one who got me into introducing children to animals. Even though you’ll hear people say that kids are only interested in being on the computer, that’s not the case here,’’ Huff said Friday.

“The teachers here try to schedule indoor activities, but the kids like it outdoors. Their time on the computer revolves around searching for information about the bugs they find outside.

“Since animals and nature have been introduced to them, the kids would rather spend time taking care of the tadpoles and going outside to catch something new. They even passed up a trip to Magic Springs today, so they could go to Gulpha Gorge and look for specimen.’’

LSCCC opened in Hot Springs about 15 years ago as a means of providing onsite childcare services for children of Quapaw House residents.

Today, the more than 7,000-square-foot daycare facility has expanded its services to the general public and is licensed through the Arkansas Department of Human Services to serve up to about 140 children, ages six weeks to 12 years old, although Huff said this year’s summer enrollment has been around 75 students.

“We’re reaching out to kids who really need it and giving them a jump start before they go to preschool,’’ she said. “We’re showing them what’s in their environment and they’re developing a greater sense of confidence and a responsibility for their world.’’

The center has special programs for school-age children, which include field trips, swimming, arts and crafts, sports and games, and computer skills.

At LSCCC, infants’ needs are met on an individual basis with a curriculum meant to enhance large and small motor skills, while preschool-age children learn computer literacy using age-appropriate programs to learn language arts and math.

School-age children at the center are involved in activities, such as field trips, swimming, arts and crafts, sports and games, and computer skills, and developmentally challenged children are screened and receive services based on their disability.

LSCCC’s ABC teacher Lorenda Casey has been with the daycare for 10 years and said the animals and outdoor time Huff brought to the daycare have been assets.

“The kids love all the animals and get excited to go outside. I even have a student who comes in every morning and feeds the turtles,’’ she said. “There are teachers here who have always had animals in their classrooms, but now there are animals that all the kids can handle. To be honest, I think the parents like the animals about as much as their children do.’’

Huff started other environment-related activities, like recycling projects that turn old tires into flower beds or cans into wind chimes. She also played a major role in doubling the playground space to bring the children outdoors and was a driving force behind the children at the daycare creating a compost pile for Project Hope.

“Everything we do here is about the kids and they play a large role in all of our activities, especially with the animals, because it helps them develop a sense of ownership,’’ Huff said. “We’re preparing them for school and making sure they’re ready to learn by introducing them to new things. Some of these children also come from unstable places but here they’re surrounded by love, not just by the teachers, but also by the animals who love everyone.’’

LSCCC has birds, turtles, a snake, and even a pregnant sugar glider, a small nocturnal marsupial native to Australia and Indonesia.

But not every child is comfortable with the animals, so Huff said the daycare seeks help from Hot Springs Pet Therapy to ease children’s fears.

“I live on a farm and it’s hard to imagine that people are uneasy around animals, but some of the kids are hesitant around them at first,’’ she said. “If we can get them to overcome their fears when they’re little, they’ll be easier to overcome. After a little one-on-one time with the people from the pet therapy group, the kids get accustomed to the animals and become more comfortable around them.’’

The projects haven’t ended yet, said Huff, who has more ideas up her sleeve for expanding the daycare’s outdoor initiatives.

“We’re talking about trying to cut some trails in the land around us that Quapaw House Inc. owns and we might start a plastic bag recycling project for Wal-Mart, as well as start more 4-H type after school programs. We have a lot more projects still to come,’’ she said.