Sandbox Child Care
About Us
In 1972, Lynn Malstrom had an idea to start a Nursery School for three and four year olds in Medford. At that time, a nursery school would have been equivalent to what we now know as a preschool environment. Mrs. Malstrom was a stay-at-home Mother, and wanted to do something that would benefit the community.
The Nursery School started at St. Paul's Lutheran Church. The first license issued by the state of Wisconsin was granted to Mrs. Lynn Malstrom on September 30, 1974. Sand Box, Inc. was licensed for 16 children, Monday - Friday from 6:30 am - 5:15 pm, September to May. In 1976, when the license was renewed, capacity increased to 20 children and offered services year-round. The nursery school was also known as Happy Hands Nursery School.
In 1978, Sandbox, Inc. expanded and opened a group child care center on North Park Street. The Sandbox Daycare portion moved to the Knights of Columbus building on Washington St, around 1982 and remained there until 1991. Infant Care services at the time were provided by Child Services Society at the UW-Extension.
The current Sandbox Child Care & Preschool building began construction in 1989. The Board President, John Klingbeil was very instrumental in enlisting the community's help with supplies and labor. Land on Cedar Street was donated by Richard and Joanne Simek. In addition to Mr. Klingbeil, other board members at the time included: Peggy Nordgren, Doreen Eldred, Patti Krug and Lisa Dobberke. The Board received generous support from many community members including WeatherShield Mfg, Inc., Hurds, Tombstone Pizza Foundation, Klingbeil Lumber, The Hedlund Agency, National Management Association, New Concept Builders, Curt's Home Improvements, United Way, and Ann Marie Foundation, to name a few.
The Infant care provided by Child Services Society was taken over by Sandbox in 1989 at the UW-Extension location (624 E College Ave). Upon completion of the new building on Cedar St. the three groups (nursery school, daycare and infant care) began consolidating into the current location. The first official license for the Sandbox Group Day Care Center was issued in June of 1990.
There were a few minor changes made to the interior at Sand Box soon after the consolidation to improve the environments for infant and toddler care. Space was divided differently which included adding some sinks and upgrading plumbing to meet licensing requirements. The open space and child focused classrooms have been the standard.
As the Board and community look to the future, we are excited to continue to provide a vital service to the broader Medford community and look forward to serving your family!
Mission Statement
The mission of Sandbox, Inc. is to provide quality child care and learning experiences for children in a safe and caring environment, helping them develop socially, creatively, emotionally, physically, and intellectually. Sandbox will strive to work cooperatively with the community.
We take pride in our highly qualified teachers and in our communications throughout the center. We strive to provide a safe and nurturing environment where children can express their individuality, while we provide them with a variety of experiences and enhance their development. Sandbox takes pride in its reputation and strives to uphold and promote values and principles, which encompass fairness and honesty.
Sandbox Child Care's Goal
It is our number one goal to provide the kind of environment and influences that encourage all children to become creative, independent, responsible, well rounded, self-directed adults who can make decisions for themselves. Our desire is for excellence in meeting the needs of children and their families for nurturing, growth and development, relationships and understanding.
Sandbox Child Care's Philosophy
We believe in the value of human diversity and the fair treatment of all people. Our values and beliefs about children are deeply rooted in the history of Early Childhood Education.
We believe All children have the right to feel good about themselves and it is the responsibility of all teachers to nurture the child’s self esteem.
We believe The home is the most important factor in a child’s development. We will always strive to support and complement the family in order to promote the healthy development of children and parents.
We believe Loving, trusting, and respecting each child enables that child to love, trust, and respect others. Each child and family is due the respect for personal privacy demanded by professional ethics.
We believe It is important to meet each child’s needs for physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth by providing diverse experiences in a supportive environment.
We believe Each person is a unique individual and has his or her own needs. Each person has a right to meet this need their own way and in their own time. However, one of the responsibilities of having rights is recognizing and respecting the rights of others.
We believe Children deserve to have teachers who are capable, caring and whose values enable them to be excellent role models. Our educational and guidance decisions must be based on our knowledge of child development.