By LINDA KELLETT

C-S-E News Staff

PALATINE — With her state license in hand, early childhood educator Eliza Saltsman is eagerly anticipating the Oct. 1 opening of her new Country Buds Child Care center.

Located in her family’s home in a country setting at 903 Stone Arabia Road, the site encompasses four rooms and is clean, spacious and colorful. It also boasts a fenced-in, outside play area.

It comes with an experienced child care provider too: Saltsman earned two-year degrees in early childhood education and business administration at Fulton-Montgomery Community College and has slightly more than two years of daycare/preschool experience under her belt. Additionally, she worked for three summers with the Fort Plain Summer Recreation Program and has coached AYSO soccer.

In order to showcase the center and to answer potential applicants’ questions, Saltsman hosted an open house on Saturday, at which time she talked about her goals and philosophy.

She said, “I want the children to be more-than-ready to go to pre-kindergarten or kindergarten. This is more than babysitting. I’m going to work with the kids. I like to see the way they develop. It’s very rewarding to see them grow.”

Saltsman has a daily schedule and will be developing lesson plans involving projects as well as indoor and outdoor activities. She also has guest readers lined up to read to the children and to do crafts each month.

Also incorporated into her program will be some sign language and Spanish.

“I want the kids to be well rounded,” she said, noting children she has worked with in the past learned sign language so they could communicate with greater ease before their verbal skills had fully developed.

Open enrollment for the program currently is in progress. Saltsman is licensed to accept up to 16 children aged six weeks to 12 years. She said, “I can hire, but I don’t need to hire until after eight children.”

Additionally Saltsman’s mother, Lydia, is basically an on-premises nurse.

Lydia, who currently works at St. Mary’s Hospital, said, “I didn’t realize a day care would need this.”

She said the process, with all of its rules and regulations, was “definitely an eye-opening experience for us as [Eliza] went through the inspection.”

One of the benefits to Saltsman’s young charges is free breakfast, two snacks and lunch.

As a participant of the federal Child and Adult Care Food Program, she’s able to get reimbursed, “so there’s no extra cost to the parent,” she said.

“I think this kind of daycare service is needed in this area,” Saltsman said.

She is open year-round from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. She is closed on Christmas, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day and a couple of additional holidays.

Country Buds Child Care is located about 10 minutes away from Canajoharie and Fort Plain, about 15 minutes from St. Johnsville, and about 20 minutes from Johnstown.

For more information about fees, payment arrangements, children’s provisions (for example, diapers and extra clothes), or other matters, call Saltsman at 774-2138 or (518) 993-3493 or email her at elizasaltsman@yahoo.com.