PRIEST RIVER — With more than 20 years experience in owning and operating a childcare facility in Priest River, Tana Vanderholm is now expanding across Bonner County.

Vanderholm, the owner of Children’s Learning World in Priest River, recently opened Storybook Nook in Ponderay. Last Friday, she broke ground on another facility, the Storybook Cottage in Oldtown, which is expected to open in the fall.

In her biography, Vanderholm shares that she has a strong devotion to children and the kind of care they receive. She believes children are sensitive to the way they are treated, which in turn effects they kind of adult they become. For that reason, she has high standards for the employees she hires and how they interact with the children in the classrooms.

“It is very important that we have friendly staff,” Vanderholm told the Daily Bee.

Vanderholm’s facilities are all early learning centers for children ages 6 weeks to 12 years, offering curriculum for the different age groups. The curriculum is focused on social and emotional development, language and literacy, science and creative development among other areas. Vanderholm said they are receiving a Preschool the Idaho Way grant from the state to expand the preschool in Sandpoint as well.

“That is going to allow us to benefit several families in the community with a quality preschool program,” she said. “We feel that it is important to support the families in our community, so that’s our job.”

The centers also participate in the state’s Quality Rating Improvement System, as well as the USDA food program. The purpose of the QRIS program is to improve the quality of childcare centers throughout the state by decreasing class sizes, improving overall health and safety, and increasing the standard of child-adult interaction. Through the USDA food program, the centers provides free, homemade healthy meals to the children enrolled, including breakfast, lunch and a variety of kid-friendly snacks.

For information and enrollment details, call 208-265-2655 for the Ponderay center, or 208-448-4482 in Priest River.

Mary Malone can be reached by email at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @MaryDailyBee.