Early Learning Center

Stepping Stones is open from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. We provide full-time care for infants and toddlers. Both full-time and part-time programs are available for preschoolers and we offer before school, after school and summer camp programs for elementary school children. Parents may come and go on their own schedule, although we suggest preschoolers arrive by 8:30. We ask that you call if your child will be in after 9:00 or won’t be in at all so that we can plan for the day. 

Stepping Stones provides care and education for children ranging in age from 2 weeks to 10 years old. Our programs are divided into the following age groups:
Infants: ages 2 weeks to 15 months
Toddlers: ages 15 months to 2 ½ years
Preschool 1: ages 2 ½ to 4 years
Preschool 2: ages 4 to 5 years
Part-time Preschool: ages 3 to 5 years
After school and Summer Camp 1: kindergarten & 1st grade
After School and Summer Camp 2: 2nd - 5th grade 

 If you are interested in enrolling your child, please call our director, Shelly Platz or assistant director, Amanda Morris at (785) 843-5919 to make an appointment to tour our center. If there is an opening, a deposit and enrollment forms must be submitted to reserve your child’s space. 

If there is not an opening, there is a $30.00 non-refundable fee to place your child’s name on the waiting list.

Children are enrolled on a “first come, first served” basis according to the location of your child’s name on our waiting list and the age of your child. Preference will be given to siblings of children presently enrolled in our program. Please let us know if you have made other arrangements so that we can withdraw your child’s name from our list. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion or gender.  You will be contacted when there is a vacancy available for your child. An enrollment form and the enrollment deposit must be paid to confirm your enrollment.

As soon as the enrollment deposit has been paid, the director will answer any questions you may have, review our procedures and give you additional forms to fill out. These forms must be completed and returned to the center on or before your child’s first day. This is a Health Department requirement and will also give our staff the information needed to get to know your child and successfully meet their needs.

Stepping Stones is closed the following days in 2024
Martin Luther King Jr. Day (All-day staff training): January 15, 2024

Spring Break: March 14-15, 2024

Memorial Day: May 27, 2024

Juneteenth: June 19, 2024
Independence Day: July 4-5, 2024

Staff Professional Development Day: August TBA
Labor Day: September 2, 2024
Thanksgiving: November 27-29, 2024
Winter Break: December 23 - January 1, 2024

In the event of bad weather, Stepping Stones may close to ensure the safety of the staff and children. We will close when the Lawrence Public Schools (USD 497) close due to icy/snow conditions. We will not close if it is just due to cold temps. If the schools delay their start time due to the weather, the center will too. We will use our text messaging system to inform parents of snow closings/delays. It will also be listed on our Facebook page. If bad weather occurs when school are out of session, we will decide if we will close or not and let all know asap.