Parents Day Out: A Program for Toddlers and Pre-Schoolers

Parents Day Out (PDO) at Wellshire Presbyterian Church provides a positive, loving and interactive environment for one to five year olds, while giving parents a few hours of time for themselves each week.

While at PDO, toddlers and preschoolers enjoy a range of developmentally appropriate activities, including music, story time, play time (on a large indoor play area and a large outdoor playground), and more!

The philosophy behind PDO

Wellshire’s Parents Day Out is a play-based program. It helps children grow their social, emotional, cognitive and physical skills through meaningful play, age-appropriate materials, and interaction with a peer group and supportive teachers.

In addition, PDO strives to support positive parenting skills and promote moral values in the children who participate in the program.

Since establishing self esteem is a part of our curriculum, discipline consists of redirection, rewarding acceptable behavior with verbal praise, and setting realistic limits.

How the program works

PDO is available to children who are at least 12 months old (and walking) up through five years old (pre-kindergarten) on September 1 of the program year:

• Children under two and a half years old may attend one day per week.
• Children who are ages two and a half through five may attend two days per week.

Class times and tuition vary, depending on the time of the year:

• School year: Classes run from September through mid-May. Generally, we are open Monday through Friday from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. Tuition is $105 per month for one day per week or $210 for two days per week, plus a one-time registration fee of $40.
• Summer: Our six-week summer program runs from mid-May to the first of July. Our summer program is available only on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm. Summer tuition is $170 for the full six weeks, with a registration fee of $20 for new families.  

There is a “Group Leader Qualified” teacher in each classroom, as required by the state of Colorado. They are trained in CPR, first aid, and medication administration. We have very low teacher turnover rate. Many of our teachers have been here for five, 10 and even 20 years!

PDO is located on site at Wellshire Presbyterian Church, and our program is licensed by the state of Colorado and follows the rules and regulations set by the Department of Human Services.

How to participate in PDO

Registration for PDO takes place at Wellshire Presbyterian Church twice a year. We hold registration in:

• January or early February for our school year program (which starts in September).
• March for our summer program (which starts in mid-May).  

It is a first come, first serve registration process. During the designated registration time, parents may come to Wellshire Presbyterian Church and visit the registration table. A completed registration form is required along with a check for the required fees. 

Wellshire PDO does not discriminate because of gender, religious beliefs, or ethnic designation. Cultural diversity is respected!

If you have questions about PDO, please email Gail Hartman.