Shaping Little Minds
Fami ly of day care centers he lps
chi ldren reach their f u l l potentia l
For Kathleen Pearage, children are a
source of constant discovery. Ms. Pear-
age is the owner of Wee Care Day Care
in Blakely, Friends Forever Day Care in
Jessup, and Tri-Star Academy in Jer-
myn. While operating three facilities can
be a challenge, she readily admits that
taking care of children is rewarding on
many levels.
“One of the most
gratifying aspects of being
in the childcare profession,
for me, is the relationships
that are developed with
the families.” - Kathleen Pearage
Ms. Pearage resides in Luzerne
County, but chose to locate her busi-
nesses in Lackawanna County because
of the area’s “hometown” feel, which she
feels is conducive to running a success-
ful child care program.
All three of Ms. Pearage’s centers focus
on daily implementation of developmental
curricula that is designed and correlated
to the Commonwealth of Pennsyl-
vania’s Early Learning Standards.
All three centers are ranked by
the Keystone STARS program,
which is a statewide quality
improvement program that mea-
sures and grades staff qualifica-
tions, meal programs, child/staff
interaction, learning materials,
and other amenities. Wee Care
Day Care is currently ranked at
STAR 3 and both Friends Forever
Day Care and Tri-Star Academy
are ranked at STAR 2.
All three centers have also participated
in the Chamber’s Small Business Intern-
ship program.
Photos by:
Kristi Pearage
8 • The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce
“It is great to see businesses partner-
ing with higher education to develop
and train the students,” Ms. Pearage
said. “This program is a step in the
right direction to help keep qualified
talent in our area.”
Each center also offers various services
depending on the area and population
they serve, including a summer camp
program that includes field trips and
learning activities.
“It is a very satisfying feeling when the
children look forward to being at the
center each day and enjoy spending time
with their teachers,” Ms. Pearage said.
Center staff also participates in com-
munity events such as the Jog for Jude
5K Walk/Run, a Zumba fundraiser that
the centers held in support of one of
their children who was fighting stage four
neuroblastoma, MDA Hop-a-Thons, and
St. Jude’s Trike-a-Thon, all done to help
further cement the centers’ ties with the
families they serve.
“Quality childcare is needed
to support these children and
their families, as well as the
further advancement of our
communities.”
“When dealing with children, families and
communities, the more we support each
other, the stronger our society will be,”
Ms. Pearage said.
Wee Care Day Care:
2790 Scranton-Carbondale
Highway, Blakely
(570) 489-5273
Friends Forever Day Care:
1101 Hill St., Jessup
(570) 489-5437
Tri-Star Academy:
626 Madison Avenue, Jermy
(570) 876-3040