Second Home center celebrates 20 years in child care business

wantage - The Second Home Child Care Center in Wantage is celebrating 20 years of providing, as its name suggests, a home away from home for area toddlers and pre-schoolers. Located on Route 519, Second Home was founded by Linda Space, who operated the original day care center in a small church in Beamerville. The present Second Home Child Care Center, which occupies a 5,000 square-foot building on 13 acres directly adjacent to Space Farms, was built by Space as her business grew. Six years ago, she sold the business to Maureen Sweeney of Hamburg. “I take a lot of pride in the school. we have a great staff and a lot of happy kids,” said Sweeney. The center offers child care for ages of six weeks to six years, including pre-school and pre-K programs. “As New Jersey only offers half day kindergarten, we are an official bus stop for Sussex-Wantage and Frankford school districts where the children can come before or after school as the case may be,” said Sweeney. The center is licensed to take up to 70 children and has a staff of 15, which includes teachers and aides. “We have all local staff members, some of whom have worked here for over ten years,” said Sweeney. “Basically what we are doing is providing a loving, caring atmosphere for children while parents are at work.” Second Home offers only full-day child care with the exception of the kindergarten students who are picked up or dropped off at the center. “There is no contract required, but we do offer discounts for certain payment plans,” said Sweeney. “We know that people’s situations change and we are willing to be flexible and will try to accommodate our parents in any way we can.” For more information, e-mail secondhomekids@aol.com.