Cicely Rawlins
Executive director
Cicely directs Thimble day to day and reports to the board at every meeting. Call her about tours, the waitlist or anything a family wants to talk through.
Nonprofit child care in Gary
Child care for Gary's working families
Thimble is a nonprofit center run by a volunteer board and directed by Cicely Rawlins. Four rooms, from six weeks to five years, open from early morning to early evening. Ask us whether assistance is open this month.
- Run by a volunteer board
- Six weeks to five years
- Open weekdays, 6 am to 6 pm
What you can check
Our license, our ratios and our daily routines
Thimble is licensed by Indiana's FSSA Office of Early Childhood. Here is how many children each teacher cares for in every room, and what we do each day.
License
Licensed by FSSA Office of Early Childhood
Child care center · IN Lic. 000000Verify
Adults to children
1 adult to 4 children
Infants, 6 weeks to 2 years
1 adult to 5 children
Twos, 2 to 3 years
1 adult to 10 children
Threes, 3 to 4 years
1 adult to 12 children
Fours, 4 to 5 years
Capacity
90
Ages 6 weeks to 5 years
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Safe sleep training
- Mandated reporter training
- Food handler training
Safety routines
Who runs us
A volunteer board of parents and neighbors oversees the center and meets every month. Our director reports to it.
Drop-off and pickup
A teacher hands each child to you at the room door. We release a child only to the adults on your list, and we ask to see identification from anyone we don't know yet.
Allergies
Tell us about any allergy at the tour. Once you enroll, we ask again in private.
Cribs and sleep
Infants sleep on their backs, in their own cribs, with nothing else in the crib.
Clean hands
Every room washes hands on arrival, before meals and after outdoor play.
Drills
Each room practices fire and weather drills with the teacher who leads it.
Ask us about child care assistance
Sample details.
Rooms and schedules
Find your child's room
Choose the schedule your family needs for your child's room.
| Ages | Adults to children | Full day6:00 am–6:00 pm5 days a week | Part day8:00 am–1:00 pm5 days a week | Part week6:00 am–6:00 pm2 or 3 days a week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infants6 weeks to 2 yearsCribs in a quiet room, a mat on the floor and a rocking chair. | 1 adult to 4 children | Waitlist | Not offered | Not offered |
| Twos2 to 3 yearsLow shelves, a play kitchen and short circle times. | 1 adult to 5 children | Offered | Offered | Waitlist |
| Threes3 to 4 yearsBlocks, paint, books and songs. | 1 adult to 10 children | Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Fours4 to 5 yearsStories, counting games and time in the yard. | 1 adult to 12 children | Offered | Offered | Not offered |
Fees and what each is for
- Registration
- Opens your child's enrollment file and puts your child on the roll.
- Holding a place
- Keeps your child's place until the first day; it goes toward the first month's tuition.
- Supplies
- Paper, paint and the things that wear out with use.
Places in each room change through the year. Call the office or ask at the tour.
Sample programs.
Who you'll call
The people who answer the phone
Cicely runs the center for the board, Verenice helps families through the application, and Efren leads the Fours room.
Verenice Palma
Family services coordinator
Verenice answers questions about assistance and the waitlist, tells families what to bring and walks them through the application.
Efren Lantigua
Lead teacher, Fours room
Efren leads the Fours room: stories, songs, blocks and a lot of time in the yard. He is at the door to meet families in the morning.
From families
What parents tell us
“The office walked me through every paper in my first week, and I knew where we stood on the waitlist every time I asked.”
Tamara W.Parent of a three-year-old
“Pickup is calm. My son's teacher says goodbye to each family at the door, and she remembers what I told her that morning.”
Andre M.Parent of a two-year-old
“I work early shifts, and the early hours are what let me keep my job. Everyone at the front desk knows our names.”
Luz G.Parent of an infant
Sample reviews.
Through the year
Open houses, first days and closures
Come to an open house to see every room, or book a tour any weekday.
This school year
Early August
Open houseFall open house
Walk through every room and meet the teachers. Board members are there to answer questions.
Late August
First dayFall rooms begin
Children move up to their next room, and new families start.
Monthly, in the evening
EventOpen board meeting
Families are welcome to sit in and ask questions.
Late November
ClosedThanksgiving closure
Closed Thursday and Friday.
Late December
ClosedWinter closure
Closed from Christmas Eve through New Year's Day.
Early March
Applications openFall places open
Applications open for fall. Ask us whether assistance is open this month.
How to apply
Sample dates.
How to apply
Ask us whether assistance is open this month. Either way, here is every step, in order.
Get in touch
Call the office at (219) 555-0101, write to us or use the form. Verenice or Cicely answers, and she tells you whether assistance is open this month.
Book a tour
Come see the rooms with your child. A tour takes about half an hour, and you can ask about the waitlist and the papers you will need.
Apply
Bring a photo identification card for each parent, proof of where you live, your work or school hours and your child's birth certificate. If you want us to look at assistance, bring proof of income and any letter you already have.
Join the waitlist
If the room you need is full, your family joins the waitlist. Families with a child already here come first, then families in the order they applied.
Register
Once there's a place, you complete the enrollment forms in private: your child's details, health and the people allowed to pick up.
The first day
Bring a change of clothes and what your child naps with. A teacher meets you at the room door, and you're welcome to stay a while.
Questions we hear most
What ages do you take?
Children from six weeks to five years, in four rooms: Infants, Twos, Threes and Fours. Each room offers full day, part day or part week, and places change through the year.
Do you take state child care assistance?
Some families here pay with state assistance. Ask us whether assistance is open this month, and Verenice will tell you what to bring and what happens next. We can't promise a place to every family, and we'll be honest about where you stand.
How does the waitlist work?
If the room you need is full, your family goes on the waitlist. Families who already have a child here come first, then families in the order they applied. When a place opens, Verenice calls the first family and gives them a few days to answer.
What does your license mean?
Thimble is licensed by Indiana's Family and Social Services Administration, Office of Early Childhood. The license sets the state's minimum standards for staffing, health and the building. The license number is public record, and a copy hangs at the front desk.
Who runs Thimble?
A volunteer board of parents and neighbors oversees the center and meets every month. Cicely, our director, runs it day to day and reports to the board.
What does a day look like?
Arrival and breakfast, play and stories, lunch, rest, time outside and an afternoon snack. Each room keeps its own rhythm, from the first hello to pickup.
Come and see the rooms
Book a tour, meet the teachers and ask about assistance, the waitlist or anything else.