A new childcare facility has opened in Oxford, placing an emphasis on educational standards.

The facility, called Oxford Kiddie Academy, is the result of a burden that the facility’s director Courtney Hill carried for two years.

“I had gone to college and done all my prerequisites and then I left school and went to massage school and I just never felt like I was doing what I needed to do,” Hill said. “I went back to school and finished my degree in early childhood education and graduated in May 2018 and we’ve just pushed this summer to open this daycare.”

The idea for the daycare really began when Hill’s church, Christ the Rock, decided to expand the program offered for Oxford Christian Academy. Two years ago, the school expanded to include Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 classes.

“As we were doing that, I just got to thinking that if we are going to serve three and four-year-olds, that we might as well serve as young as six weeks,” Hill said.

The daycare facility has space for up to 52 students, but Hill said the school plans to restrict enrollment to 40 children unless there is a need to expand.

Oxford Kiddie Academy operates in conjunction with Oxford Christian Academy, though Hill said children who attend the daycare do not have to enroll at OCA or attend Christ The Rock.

For kids who do attend the Kiddie Academy, Hill has developed an educational curriculum that will allow children to meet all the milestones required by the Mississippi Department of Education to be ready to attend kindergarten.

“We are preparing them by the state standards,” Hill said. “We have had a very high success rate here at the school from kindergarten to first grade and even through pre-school. Those kids were ready for kindergarten. Our goal is be an educational facility. …This is not just a place where kids are going to come and play all day, they are going to come and learn and we are going to help them reach each milestone for each age so that they can grow and learn.”

Children are instructed in a group setting, Hill said, preparing them for what they will experience once they enter public schools, though the curriculum also allows for individual learning that will ensure each child is set up for success.

“It is a very comprehensive program where they can learn all types of things,” Hill said. “It is a fun way to learn what they need to know.”

Hill said that the daycare has spots available in all classes and that Oxford Kiddie Academy will also limited spaces for part-time care. Those interested in part-time care can choose between Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Tuesday, Thursday slots, Hill said.

Oxford Kiddie Academy is open Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., with expanded hours aimed at giving parents plenty of time to drop their children off before going to work or to pick them up after work.

For more information on Oxford Kiddie Academy, call 662-236-4676.