Tim and Kathryn Kaminski.
Gingerbread Kids’ Academy
By Patti Parish-Kaminski | Photo By Nesossi Studios –
When it comes to caring for and educating young children, what is the recipe for success? Try a heaping spoonful of thirty years of experience in early childhood development, add in a cup of a healthcare executive with a Master’s Degree in Speech Language Pathology with over twenty-five years of treating children’s language disorders, mix well with a dash of commitment to early childhood development, and you have a winning recipe in the Gingerbread Kids’ Academy.
For thirty-three years, the name Gingerbread has been synonymous with child care in Richmond and Rosenberg. From their original Rosenberg two-acre location on Fourth Street to their After-School Programs at three Lamar Consolidated ISD schools – Frost, Hutchison and Hubenak Elementary – Gingerbread has been a staple in the community caring for young children. One of the first providers to Lamar Consolidated ISD schools, Gingerbread developed the curriculum for the three After-School Programs. And now, the Gingerbread name is expanding to include an additional location dedicated to their long-standing mission of caring for and educating young children to both prepare them for elementary school, as well as insure their success in a structured learning environment.
Gingerbread Kids’ Academy’s new 10,000 square foot location at 814 FM 2977 in Richmond will do just that. With seven classrooms dedicated to educating children, two multi-purpose rooms, a full-service kitchen, six age appropriate playgrounds and a water splash pad, Gingerbread’s new aca-demy will accommodate children from eight weeks to 12 years old. “Our goal is and has always been to provide a family-oriented environment where children learn and grow,” said Kathryn Kaminski, owner and director of the Gingerbread House Daycare Center in Rosenberg, or “Ms. K,” as she is affectionately referred to by the “Gingerbread kids.” And after over thirty years in the industry, she and her husband, Larry, have set their sights on caring for and educating even more Gingerbread kids. “Expanding our Gingerbread family with this new state-of-the-art facility will allow us to care for even more children, which has always been a personal goal of mine,” said Ms. K.
Caring for children isn’t just a business with Ms. K; it’s her life’s work. Recently elected as a school board trustee for Lamar Consolidated ISD, she takes children, their well-being and their education very seriously. “In thirty years, I have seen changes in our society, our environment and educational system that affect early childhood development and children’s education. I am honored to be able to utilize that experience serving as a board trustee to insure our children receive the best possible education in our community.”
Family Focus
While creating a family-oriented environment for children is paramount to Ms. K, the expansion of the Gingerbread brand also focuses on family. Tim Kaminski, co-owner and director of the Gingerbread Kids’ Academy along with Ms. K, is both her son and business partner. In 2011, Kaminski became a licensed childcare director. Kaminski has taken the lead on expanding the Gingerbread name with the new location that is scheduled to open in January 2014. “This project has truly been a labor of love,” said Kaminski. “We are pleased to be opening our second location in the Richmond/Rosenberg area. We believe in investing in our community and in the future of our children.”
With Kaminski serving as the new academy’s director, the Gingerbread Kids’ Academy will be the only learning center in the area with a Speech Language Pathologist on site. In the five years that Kaminski has worked with Gingerbread, that skill set has made a remarkable difference in the quality of care for many Gingerbread kids. “We are able to make early determinations if there are any significant speech, language or developmental delays, and if identified, we are able to make the appropriate referrals out to the various resources in our community for further assessment,” said Kaminski, who has not only successfully identified issues with children, he has personally served as advocates for children needing early childhood intervention (ECI) services. “Insuring that these children get the appropriate help they need is important, and the fact that I am able to utilize my experience as a Speech Language Pathologist to help children and their families is an important asset.”
Advocating for children is a passion Kaminski shares with his mother. Kaminski serves as an advisory board member for Texana Center, a non-profit that provides services to people needing behavioral, intellectual and developmental care, support and education, as well as an advisory board member for OakBend Hospital. He is a member of the Texas Association for the Education of Young Children (TAEYC), and he frequently conducts child care employee training seminars throughout the state. In fact, Kaminski helped develop the new Infant, Toddler and Three-Year-Old Developmental Guidelines for the State of Texas by serving on the stakeholders advisory group for the Texas Early Learning Council. The only privately owned child care center invited to participate on the two-year project, the group authored the suggested guidelines for child care centers, employees, parents, care givers, physicians and policy makers. The Guidelines were published in 2013 with Kaminski listed as a contributor.
The Gingerbread Kids’ Academy, scheduled to open in January 2014, is a new 10,000 square foot center located at 814 FM 2977 in Richmond.
Gingerbread Kids’ Academy
When the new Gingerbread Kids’ Academy opens in January, it will be the only children’s academy of its kind in the area. With programs designed around developmental milestones, the goal of the academy is to prepare children for a successful entry into Kindergarten. “Research has shown that children who participate in early childhood programs with a focus on developing social and emotional skills are better prepared for successful entry into Pre-K and elementary school programs,” said Kaminski. “Children should be socially, emotionally and cognitively prepared, which is our focus at Gingerbread.”
While academics and developmental milestones are a priority at Gingerbread, children attending the new location will enjoy the ability to play on state-of-the-art equipment as they grow. Each of the seven classrooms opens up to its own private, outdoor playground featuring age appropriate equipment. Also unique to Gingerbread is the water splash pad where children can enjoy water activities on hot days. “We all know that kids love water, so creating another outdoor sensory experience with a splash pad was something that we knew would be a hit with kids,” said Kaminski, who designed the splash pad area.
The two large multi-purpose rooms will be utilized by the children for after-school programming, which includes a library, computer center, arts and games center and homework assistance center. The rooms will also be available for birthday parties, baby showers, civic organizations such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts and parent and staff development training seminars. “Our goal is to offer our multi-purpose rooms to community organizations on the weekends and in the evenings,” said Kaminski, who has agreed to host the 2015 Texana Autism Conference at the new Gingerbread Kids’ Academy. “We want to be a resource for our community, as well as serve as a responsible community partner.”
For more information or to enroll in Gingerbread Kids’ Academy, visit www.gbkidsacademy.com or call 281-239-2110.