Business Spotlight: One 4 All Learning Center

It’s no secret that high-quality early care and learning programs can positively impact children for years into the future and that’s the mission of the new One 4 All Learning Center.

A teacher reads to children at the new
One 4 All Learning Center in Raymond.
SUBMITTED PHOTO

Having opened in August at 1317 Roosevelt Trail in Raymond, the One 4 All Learning Center is the culmination of a dream for owners Courtnee Benner and Bobby Sue Lowe, who have years of experience and expertise accumulated working in childcare and early childhood education. The facility is a childcare center serving children ages 6 weeks to 5 years and offering before- and after-care for children in Kindergarten and First Grade.

“A lot of heart has gone into making this dream become a reality. We have a combined 100-plus years of experience, and our passion for children and their growth and development is reflected in everything we do,” Benner said. “We are the only licensed childcare center in Raymond, although there are quite a few wonderful in-home childcare providers. Our building reflects our values of making children and families feel at home. We find children thrive in environments that are familiar, and we have worked hard to ensure that walking into a classroom felt like opening the front door to your living room.”

Located on spacious and safe grounds and featuring a renovated building, the One 4 All Learning Center is open from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday with meals and snacks included daily and a discount for enrolled siblings in its infant, toddler, and preschool programs. It is licensed to care for up to 49 children daily.

“We have done a couple of tours for families where we were astonished when they asked questions such as ‘do you read to the children,’ or ‘do you go outside’ because of misconceptions of childcare and what we do,” Lowe said. “Children are not a distraction from more important work, they are the most important work. We may have a play-based learning approach but play-based means so much more than just play. Play is the work of children.”

Both Benner and Lowe dispel the notion that childcare is nothing more than babysitting. They say their experience working in the childcare profession has shown them that this time in the lives of young children is crucial to learning valuable concepts such as getting along with other children, problem-solving, proper ways of sharing and socialization.

To accomplish that, the One 4 All Learning Center teachers are trained in curriculum planning, learning and development, and fostering cognitive abilities while adhering to developmental standards. It employs eight full-time teachers and one part-time teacher who share an extensive background in childcare.

“We are required to obtain a certificate of licensure through the State of Maine and DHHS. Through that process, there is a 76-page handbook outlining all of the different requirements for providing care to children in a group setting,” Benner said. “In addition, we are required to obtain a certificate through Maine’s Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), Rising Stars for ME. This is a system used for tracking quality care and improvements made within the program. We obtained our certificate as a four-star program in October.”

With a warm and welcoming atmosphere, personalized care and attention and a strong focus on early childhood education, One 4 All Learning Center strives to exceed expectations.

“As we prepared to open, both of us thought if we could give these families one thing, what would it be and our answer was simple – time,” Lowe said. “We then sat down and brainstormed ideas to provide working parents more time with their children, and we mapped out what a day as a parent would look like. Prepping for the next day is the first thing that came to mind, specifically meal planning. Packing snacks and lunch takes out such a chunk of every night when time is already limited to spend with your child because of the restraints of a working life. We provide two snacks and lunch, all included with weekly tuition, while following best practices in health and nutrition.”

For more details about One 4 All Learning Center or to arrange for a tour, call 207-302-0030. Visit them on Facebook page at Facebook.com/One4AllLearningCenter <