Fermina Guardiola
Director
Fermina grew up in a Cuban family in Miami and has directed Blanket for New Life Church since it opened its doors. She greets families at the front door and speaks Spanish with those who prefer it.
A ministry of New Life Church
A church family that looks after your little ones
Blanket is the child care and preschool of New Life Church in Winter Haven: four rooms for eighty children, from six weeks to the year before kindergarten, and a Florida exemption we explain in plain words.
- Ages 6 weeks to 5 years
- Open Monday to Friday
What you can check
Our standing with the state, and what we do each day
Blanket is run by New Life Church. Here is our status under Florida law, the four rooms and the routines that keep each one steady.
License
A ministry of New Life Church. We are a religious exempt child care facility under Florida law, not licensed by DCF. Exempt status 000000. Our staff are background screened as the law requires, and we are a member of <accrediting body>.
Adults to children
- 1 adult to 4 childrenInfants and toddlers, 6 weeks to 2 years
- 1 adult to 11 childrenTwos, 2 to 3 years
- 1 adult to 15 childrenThrees, 3 to 4 years
- 1 adult to 20 childrenFours, 4 to 5 years
Capacity
80
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
Staff screening
Everyone who works with children is background screened before their first day, as Florida law requires.
Drop-off and pickup
A teacher meets each child at the room door. We release a child only to the people on your written list.
Allergies
Tell us about any allergy at the tour. Once you enroll, we ask again in private.
Naps and sleep
Babies sleep on their backs, in their own cots, with nothing else in the cot. Older children rest on mats.
Clean hands
Every room washes hands on arrival, before meals and after outdoor play.
Drills
Each room practices fire and storm drills with the teacher who leads it.
Ask us about child care assistance
Sample details.
The rooms
Four rooms, and the days each one offers
Pick the schedule that fits your week.
| Ages | Adults to children | Full day6:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.5 days a week | School day8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.5 days a week | Mornings8:30 a.m. to noon3 days a week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infants and toddlers6 weeks to 2 yearsTheir own cots, a soft rug, songs and a rocking chair. | 1 adult to 4 children | Offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| Twos2 to 3 yearsBlocks, a play kitchen and the first art table. | 1 adult to 11 children | Offered | Waitlist | Offered |
| Threes3 to 4 yearsCircle time, paint and a Bible story every morning. | 1 adult to 15 children | Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Fours4 to 5 yearsStories, songs, counting games and chapel. | 1 adult to 20 children | Full | Offered | Not offered |
Fees and what each is for
- Registration
- Opens your child's enrollment file and goes with the application.
- Holding a place
- Keeps your child's place until the first day and goes toward the first month.
- Supplies
- Paper, paint and the things that wear out with use.
Places in each room change through the year. Ask at the tour.
Sample programs.
Four rooms, one path
From the infant room to the Fours
A child moves up when they are ready, and you hear about it before the move.
- 01
Infants and toddlers
6 weeks to 2 yearsSkillsTummy time, floor play and first steps
Bottles and naps on your baby's own rhythm
Songs, rocking and board books
Moving upIdalis talks with you first, and your child visits the Twos room with a teacher they know.
- 02
Twos
2 to 3 yearsSkillsPlaying beside friends and learning to share
Singing, shaking and drumming
Dressing up in the play kitchen
Moving upThe Twos spend a morning in the Threes room before the move, with their own teacher beside them.
- 03
Threes
3 to 4 yearsSkillsCircle time, a calendar and helping jobs
Painting, cutting and gluing
A Bible story and a song each morning
Moving upIn spring the Threes visit the Fours room, and Aurelio talks with each family.
- 04
Fours
4 to 5 yearsSkillsWriting a name and listening to a longer story
Counting games with blocks and beads
Chapel once a week
Moving upAurelio and Fermina plan the move to kindergarten with each family in the spring.
Where to startBook a tour
Sample levels.
Who is here
The people in your child's room
Fermina, Idalis and Aurelio are at the center every day. You meet them at the tour.
Idalis Varas
Infants and toddlers lead
Idalis cares for our youngest children and writes a note for each family at pickup: bottles, naps and what your baby tried today.
Aurelio Toro
Fours teacher and chapel leader
Aurelio teaches the Fours: stories, songs and counting games, and the walk across the courtyard to chapel. He speaks Spanish with children and families.
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
Late July
Open houseFall open house
Walk through every room and meet each teacher. Church families and neighbors are both welcome.
Early August
First dayFall classes begin
Children visit their new room with a parent the week before.
Late November
ClosedThanksgiving closure
Closed Thursday and Friday.
Late December
ClosedChristmas closure
Closed from Christmas Eve through New Year's Day.
Early March
Open houseSpring open house
See the rooms again and meet the teachers your child will have next year.
Mid February
Applications openFall places open
Applications open to church families and neighbors at the same time.
Book a tour
Sample dates.
Our ministry
Child care as a ministry of New Life Church
Blanket began in the church's children's wing and is still run by the church.
Every day has a short Bible story, a song and a blessing before lunch, told at each age's pace. Families of every church, and of none, are welcome.
A Bible story and a song each morning
Chapel once a week for the Fours
Families of any faith are welcome
How to enroll
- 01
Step 1: Get in touch
Call the front desk, write to us or use the form. Fermina or the front desk answers within a day.
- 02
Step 2: Book a tour
Come and see the rooms with your child. It takes about half an hour, and you can ask anything, including about tuition and the state's exemption.
- 03
Step 3: Apply
Fill in the application and tell us which room and schedule you hope for. If the room is full, we put your family on the waitlist and call when a place opens.
- 04
Step 4: Register
Once there is a place, you complete the enrollment forms in private: your child's details, health and the people allowed to pick up.
- 05
Step 5: The first day
Bring a change of clothes and what your child naps with. A teacher meets you at the room door, and you are welcome to stay a while.
Questions we hear most
What does religious exempt mean?
Florida law lets a child care facility run by a church or religious organization operate without a license from DCF, the state's Department of Children and Families. It doesn't license us. The law still asks us to background screen our staff, and our exempt status is stated at the bottom of every page.
Do we have to belong to New Life Church?
No. Church families and neighbors are both welcome, and we don't ask which church you attend.
Which ages do you take?
From six weeks to the year before kindergarten, in four rooms: infants and toddlers, Twos, Threes and Fours.
How do I find out if there is a place?
Write or call, and we will tell you whether your child's room has a place. If it is full, we put your family on the waitlist and call when one opens.
How does tuition work?
It depends on your child's room and the schedule you choose. The tuition page explains it, and we give you the figures in writing at the tour.
Come and see the rooms
A tour takes about half an hour. Bring your child, and bring your questions.