Laverne Coley
Director
Laverne has led Cardigan since it opened as a ministry of the church. She greets families at the front door and walks you through the Notice of Compliance at your tour.
A ministry of Grace Baptist Church
Five rooms, from six weeks to kindergarten
Cardigan is the child care ministry of Grace Baptist Church in Kinston. A teacher who knows your child by name, a day with Bible stories and songs, and a Notice of Compliance we'll explain in plain words.
- Infants through Fours
- Open Monday to Friday
What you can check
What the state's notice covers, and what we do each day
Cardigan is a ministry of Grace Baptist Church. Here is our standing with the state, the rooms we run and the routines that keep each one steady.
License
A ministry of Grace Baptist Church. We operate under a Notice of Compliance from NC DCDEE, not a star-rated license. It confirms we meet the state's minimum health and safety standards for religious-sponsored centers. Ask for a copy at a tour.
Adults to children
1 adult to 5 children
Infants, 6 weeks to 12 months
1 adult to 5 children
Toddlers, 12 to 24 months
1 adult to 7 children
Twos, 2 to 3 years
1 adult to 15 children
Threes, 3 to 4 years
1 adult to 15 children
Fours, 4 to 5 years
Capacity
72
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
Drop-off and pickup
A teacher hands each child to you at the room door. We release a child only to the people you list in writing.
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.
The five rooms
Each room, and the schedules it offers
Choose a schedule for your child's room. The board above says how many children each teacher cares for.
| Ages | Adults to children | Full day6:30 am–5:30 pm5 days a week | Half day6:30 am–12:30 pm5 days a week | Parents' day out9:00 am–2:00 pmTuesday and Thursday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infants6 weeks to 12 monthsTheir own crib, a mat on the floor and a rocking chair. | 1 adult to 5 children | Offered | Not offered | Not offered |
| Toddlers12 to 24 monthsLow shelves, floor play and songs. | 1 adult to 5 children | Offered | Offered | Waitlist |
| Twos2 to 3 yearsPlay kitchen, blocks and the first art table. | 1 adult to 7 children | Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Threes3 to 4 yearsCircle time, paint and a reading corner. | 1 adult to 15 children | Offered | Offered | Full |
| Fours4 to 5 yearsStories, songs and a walk to chapel. | 1 adult to 15 children | Offered | 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; it goes toward the first month's tuition.
- Supplies
- Paper, paint and the things that wear out with use.
Places by room change through the year; ask at the tour.
Sample programs.
Five rooms, one path
From the Infant room to the Fours
A child moves up when they're ready, and you hear about it before the move.
- 01
Infants
6 weeks to 12 monthsSkillsTummy time and floor play
Bottles and naps on your baby's own rhythm
Songs, rocking and board books
Moving upWhen your child is walking and ready, Laverne talks with you first, and your child visits the Toddler room with a teacher before the move.
- 02
Toddlers
12 to 24 monthsSkillsWalking, climbing and pushing a toy
Naming things in picture books
Stacking and nesting
Moving upA visit to the Twos room comes first, with a teacher your child already knows.
- 03
Twos
2 to 3 yearsSkillsPlaying beside friends and starting to share
Singing, shaking and drumming
Dressing up in the play kitchen
Moving upSybil leads the Twos and the Threes, so the next room has a familiar face in it.
- 04
Threes
3 to 4 yearsSkillsCircle time, calendar and helping jobs
Painting, cutting and gluing
Telling a story from a picture book
Moving upThe Threes visit the Fours room for a morning near the end of the year.
- 05
Fours
4 to 5 yearsSkillsWriting a name and listening to a longer story
Counting games with blocks and beads
Walking to chapel together
Moving upIn spring, Bennie and the parents plan the move to kindergarten together.
Where to startBook a tour
Sample levels.
Our team
The people in your child's room
Every room has a lead teacher you'll meet at the tour.
Kemisha Bunton
Infant room lead
Kemisha cares for our youngest children and keeps a note for each family at pickup: feedings, naps and what your baby tried today.
Sybil Stockton
Twos and Threes lead
Sybil moves between the Twos and Threes rooms, so children already know her face when they move up.
Bennie Eady
Fours teacher
Bennie teaches the Fours: stories, songs, counting games and the walk across the church lawn to chapel.
From families
What parents tell us
“We started in the Infant room. Kemisha knew our daughter's feeding times before I finished explaining, and we got a note at every pickup.”
Shaniece M.Parent of an infant
“We came for the church family and stayed for the rooms. Sybil greets every child at the door, and pickup is never a rush.”
Kristopher B.Parent of a three-year-old
“The open house showed us every room before we signed anything, and Laverne put the Notice of Compliance on the table and walked us through it.”
Alivia G.Parent of a toddler and a four-year-old
Sample reviews.
Through the year
Open houses, first days and closures
Come to an open house to see all five rooms, or book a tour any weekday.
This school year
Early August
Open houseFall open house
Walk through every room and meet each teacher. Church families and neighbors are both welcome.
Late 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 April
Applications openFall places open
Applications open to church families and neighbors at the same time.
Book a tour
Sample dates.
Our ministry
A ministry of Grace Baptist Church
Cardigan grew out of 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, at each age's pace. Families of every church, and of none, are welcome.
Bible stories and songs in every room
Chapel with the pastor for the Fours
Families of every church, or none
How to enroll
- 01
Step 1: Get in touch
Call the front desk, write to us or use the form. Laverne or the front desk answers within a day.
- 02
Step 2: Book a tour
Come see the rooms with your child. It takes about half an hour, and you can ask anything, including about tuition.
- 03
Step 3: Apply
Fill in the application and tell us which room and schedule you're hoping for. If the room is full, we put your family on the waitlist.
- 04
Step 4: 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.
- 05
Step 5: The first day
Bring a change of clothes and what your child sleeps with. A teacher meets you at the room door, and you're welcome to stay a while.
Questions we hear most
What is a Notice of Compliance?
It's the paper a church-sponsored center in North Carolina files with the state's child care division to show it meets the state's minimum health and safety standards for religious-sponsored centers. It isn't a star-rated license, and we don't claim it is one. Ask for our copy at a tour.
Is Cardigan a religious program?
Cardigan is a ministry of Grace Baptist Church, so Bible stories, songs and a blessing before lunch are part of each day. You'll see what a day looks like when you visit.
Do we have to belong to Grace Baptist?
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 five rooms: Infants, Toddlers, Twos, Threes and Fours.
How do I find out if there is a place?
Write or call, and we'll tell you whether your child's room has a place. If it's full, we put your family on the waitlist and call when one opens.