Childtime Learning Centers Provide Early Education to 'At-Risk' Ohio Youngsters.

AKRON, Ohio -- Four months after the start of Ohio's Early Learning Initiative (ELI), Childtime Learning Centers--a leading national provider of child care and early learning--is providing key early educational experiences to over 200 eligible children between three and five years old in 13 centers throughout Ohio.

"Repeatedly, educational experts have shown high-quality early education experiences can have a lasting positive impact on children--particularly those that come from 'at-risk' backgrounds," explained Bill Davis, Chief Executive Officer. "Childtime is proud to be the only national early education and child care provider selected by the state to provide this important service. In each of our centers, we strive to provide a safe and caring environment that encourages a life-long love of learning."

In order to be awarded the contract, Childtime had to demonstrate its plans to meet Ohio's Early Learning Guidelines, including teacher credentials; participation in ongoing professional development; services to children and families; implementation of Ohio's Early Learning Content Standards; and child progress in early language and literacy.

For the latter, Childtime's new, proprietary curriculum, The Empowered Child(TM), provides children with well-rounded educational experiences- focusing on traditional educational topics, such as language and math, as well as new research-supported subjects, such as self-esteem and social interactions.

Created by early childhood specialists and national experts, The Empowered Child(TM) was designed to support, nurture and educate children in developmentally appropriate ways, and particularly focuses on the theory that children learn best by being active participants in their educational experiences--an important tenet of ELI's educational philosophy.

"The Empowered Child(TM) curriculum was inspired by the Reggio Emila approach--the fastest growing method to early learning--and focuses on the three components of a quality early childhood education experience: developmentally appropriate practices, a home-like learning environment and quality teacher-child interactions," explained Richard Cohen, vice president, Education. "This approach has been embraced by various well-known early childhood education organizations, including the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA)."

About Ohio's Early Learning Initiative

The Early Learning Initiative (ELI) is a collaboration between the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) and the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) that is designed to provide children, often identified as at risk of school failure, with educational experiences that will help them enter kindergarten ready for success; and meet the child care needs of working families.

About Childtime

Childtime, a subsidiary of Learning Care Group (NASDAQ:LCGI), is one of the nation's largest providers of childcare and preschool educational services. In over 30 years Childtime has grown into a network of centers operating in 23 states and the District of Columbia. The home-like atmosphere of their centers, proprietary The Empowered Child(TM) curriculum and personal attention sets Childtime apart from other national childcare networks. For more information, please call Customer Support at [phone], or visit www.childtime.com.