Harbor Springs
Childcare Programs
Contact Information
Director
Sadie Riley-Flemming
sriley@harborps.org
Assistant Director
Vicky Ryba
vryba@harborps.org
Office
231-526-4656
Harbor Springs High School
421 E. Lake Street
Harbor Springs, MI 49740
*We are often in a classroom or floating around the center. For quicker response time please email*
Join the Waitlist-Paused
Our waitlist is now paused. As we expand in the future we will re-open our waitlist.
Important Policies, Links, and Forms
Welcome!
Blackbird Child Care is a service provided by the Harbor Springs School District. The program provides child care services for children infants through 12 years of age. Children receive care and learning experiences in high quality, safe environments. Programming is based upon developmentally appropriate practice with a diverse team of caregivers and teachers. Blackbird Child Care Center is led by a program director who is part of the leadership team of Harbor Springs Public Schools.
BBCCC is open Monday-Friday from 7:30 AM – 6 PM. We serve families with children 6 weeks – 12 years old.
We are located in the Blackbird Elementary School at 421 East Lake Street, Harbor Springs, Michigan 49740. Our main phone number is 231.526.4656
BBCCC is licensed through the State of Michigan for 130 children. We are also participants in the Great Start to Quality Rating program, and partners with Char-Em Intermediate School District
Blackbird Preschool (GSRP) Program
Blackbird Preschool is a Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP). GSRP is a state-funded preschool program for children who are 4 years-old. The program currently has two half day sessions. The AM session runs Monday through Thursday from 8am-11am and the PM session runs Monday through Thursday from 12am-3pm. Any changes to programming for the 2024-2025 school year will be posted here.
If you are interested in preschool programming for your child at Blackbird Preschool you MUST complete the pre-application link below.
Please contact the preschool team if you have any questions!
Megan Green
Blackbird Preschool Lead Teacher
mgreen@harborps.org
Stephanie Niezgoda
Blackbird Preschool Associate Teacher
sniezgoda@harborps.org
Childcare Announcements
We’re Hiring!
Are you looking for a summer job that has weekends, holidays, and evenings off? Do you like spending time outdoors, exploring the community, and building
Exciting Pre-K/GSRP News!
We are so excited to share that there will be two full day (8:00am-3:00pm) GSRP classrooms for the 2024-2025 school year! Don’t forget to fill
Our Core Values
Quality
We believe every child deserves a high-quality care and learning environment, caring and loving caregivers, and experience based on developmentally appropriate practices.
Respect
We believe that respecting each individual child and family, honoring uniqueness, and valuing diversity is the foundation of relationship building and the success of our program.
Learning
We believe in providing children with play-based learning experiences based upon observation, exploration, and experimentation. Learning happens in the context of the classroom, the playground, and beyond.
Community
We believe that working together results in a better environment for children to learn and grow in, for families to engage in, and for staff to grow and develop in.
Our Vision
All children learning and growing in a setting of joy, kindness, and warmth that ensures families know their children are safe and cared for and assures the community feels confident and secure in the services provided by Blackbird Child Care.
Our Mission
To provide all children access to quality early learning and care experiences in a safe, caring, fun environment. Supporting the growth and development of children through opportunities to explore, experiment, and learn. Communicating openly and honestly with families and engaging the community we serve.
Our Philosophy
At Blackbird Child Care we believe all children deserve a safe and nurturing environment that supports development and learning. The environment is set up to encourage active engagement in learning through evidence-based, developmentally appropriate experiences. The program is structured to provide a routine that engages children and supports their unique, individual needs and sets them up for success socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively. The materials provided are age appropriate and intended to spark interest and challenge.
Positive relationships among all are encouraged and supported. Children and families feel welcome, staff are warm, friendly, and engaging, and children are encouraged to work and play together. Teachers and caregivers use knowledge of child development and observation to prepare and implement developmentally appropriate experiences. Families are respected as a child’s first teachers and their input and feedback is encouraged and used to guide program growth and innovation.
