NEWBURGH, Maine — Amy Gentle wanted to have a place for her daughter to go before and after school.
Because she couldn’t find one, she started her own program.
“I wanted a safe place and nice environment for my own child,” said Gentle. “I knew there was a need in Newburgh for an after-school program. So I thought, ‘Why not now?’ It’s the best time for it.”
In February, Gentle got the ball rolling on developing a program in her home for children ages 5-12 called Serendipity Childcare.
After a day care in the former Newburgh Elementary building was closed in May for not being licensed or having insurance, Gentle viewed it as an opportunity.
“Because of that, there is a need for one,” said Gentle. “[The children] need a steady, reliable place to go that’s safe for them before and after school.”
The process to be approved was a rigorous one.
“Very strict,” said Gentle, who is certified in CPR and first aid and is a Certified Nursing Assistant. “Which is understandable because there are a lot of bad day cares.”
She said she had to be approved by the town, have her water tested, have a fire marshal inspect her home, install a fence in the backyard and take child development classes.
“It’s not as bad as I thought it was going to be,” she said. “I expected the state to come in and be like, ‘You need to fix that, and you need to do this.’ And it wasn’t like that at all. It was mostly suggestions.”
She said the fire marshal was the hardest to please.
“We inspect to national code, not a Maine-based code,” said State Fire Marshal Rich McCarthy. “We check things like smoke detectors, egress windows and many other things.”
McCarthy added that all Department of Health and Human Services licensed facilities are put through the same National Fire Protection Agency 101 Life Safety Code.
“If I certify a building, I’m telling you it’s safe for your child to be dropped off there,” he said. “All of our guys, they wouldn’t ask you to place your child there if they wouldn’t place their own child there.”
Gentle was eager to aid the community she has come to love. She moved to the town two years ago.
“I think now, more than ever, things are starting to turn positive [for Newburgh]. So this is a great, positive thing for the community, especially for the kids,” said Gentle.
Gentle said she’ll have a structured environment devoid of television.
“We’ll be doing lots of arts and crafts,” she said. “I’d like for children to get back to the way things used to be years ago. You didn’t watch TV all day, you went outside and played all the time. I grew up like that.”
Serendipity Childcare, whose name was chosen by Gentle’s daughter Madyson, is open for the morning at 6:30 a.m. The afternoon session runs until 6:30 p.m. The morning is $8 with the afternoon being $12 each day. The kids get breakfast in the morning and a snack in the afternoon.
Because she got her license this month, she’s had trouble finding parents interested in the program.
“I know a lot of parents are struggling right now with choosing appropriate child care, and I want them to know there are options,” she said.
Gentle is able to host 12 students for each session.
To sign up, call Gentle at 735-3536.