By Karen Vance
Enquirer contributor

MILFORD - For nearly 20 years, the Milford Exempted Village School District has offered parents a day care choice for school-age children.

Starting next fall, the district will offer preschool and day care services for children as young as 3. "We're very excited about it, and what we're hearing from parents in the district is that we're filling a niche that's needed in the community," said Vikki Miller, coordinator of federal programs for the district.

Miller, who operates the district's special education preschool program, will serve as director of the early-education center. It will be in the former Miami Elementary, 1039 Ohio 28.

The 21/2 hour, five-day-a-week preschool is designed to meet Ohio preschool standards and prepare students to enter kindergarten.

The district hopes to have a teacher and aide for every 20 students. The district could accommodate as many as 200 students, Miller said.

"The research shows that the quality of the teacher at a preschool has a direct impact on the future of that student's education," she said. The new programs will be self-sufficient, with no additional cost to the district.

"A lot of districts have early childhood centers and preschools, but this is one of the only ones using certified teachers and that is not supported by the district's general fund," said Valerie Miller, a spokeswoman for the district.

"We're received a lot of calls already, and there's definitely an interest out there for this program."

The Milford Early Childhood/Extended Day Center will be home to the special education preschool, the regular preschool, a Head Start class and the extended-day program.

"We're looking forward to working with the preschoolers," said Janie Thompson, director of the extended-day program. "And we're really looking forward to having our own gym, our own cafeteria."

The extended-day program has been in operation since 1985 and allows parents to drop off their children - currently kindergarten through sixth grade - at their neighborhood elementary school as early as 6 a.m. After school, the program keeps the children involved in education-based activities as late as 6:30 p.m., Thompson said.

Milford program

Who's eligible: Residents of Milford Exempted Village Schools district.

Rates information: 575-0234.

Registration and an open house for the preschool and all ages of the extended-day program is 7-9 p.m. March 3 at the new Milford Early Childhood/Extended Day Center, formerly Miami Elementary, 1039 Ohio 28.

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E-mail kvance@fuse.net