Congratulations on your new baby! Like every parent you're excited                               about your new                                      "Bundle of Joy." When                                you start sleeping                                      again, you'll be                                      chasing your daughter                                  or son around the                                      house, filling up "sippy                                cups" cooking finger                                   foods, and changing                             countless diapers.

Parenthood: It's a job-                              AND an adventure!

Meanwhile, there are bills to pay. That pesky mortgage and those car payments mean that in many cases, mom and dad both have to work. If you're fortunate, make that very lucky, grandma can step in with her loving arms and years of experience. But when grandma isn't available, or too elderly to care for a baby or toddler, many parents have to make the agonizing choice to turn to day care.

There are some day cares in Putnam County. But new parents quickly find that most don't take infants. That includes many church day cares. So finding competent care for the littlest family member can be a huge challenge.

PutnamLIVE.com has found one day care, in Teays Valley, that welcomes babies from 6-weeks old, up through 12-year-olds in its after-school program. With flexible hours six-days-a-week meeting the needs of parents with those crazy schedules.

MY FAMILY Day Care & Pre-School opened its doors a few weeks ago in Teays Valley at 1101 Hospital Drive above the former First State Bank branch.

Owned by Crystal Tincher and directed by Mikki Owens, MY FAMILY has designed itself to be a convenient solution for Putnam County's parents.

"With being in Teays Valley, most day cares don’t do infants," says Owens. "We’re a one-stop day care where you can bring your infants and children up to 12 years of age."

Owens knows the challenges of parenthood. She has foster-parented more than a dozen children from infants to a 19-year-old. Her daughters Emily and Gabby attend MY FAMILY every day, enjoying the lessons, playtime, and, of course, loving moments with mom.

In addition to weekly rates, MY FAMILY takes drop-ins at $5 an hour for parents that need a watchful eye for running errands or client appointments, or those emergencies that pop up where children get in the way.

"We try to do flexible scheduling," Owens adds. "We have one parent that is an EMT whose schedule changes from week-to-week. We work with her crazy schedule."

And those crazy schedules include children from "broken homes" who split their time between dad's pad and mom's place.

"If parents are divorced with a parenting plan where the mom has them one week and the dad has them another week," Owens clarifies, "We work within the parenting plan."

One of the unique ways that MY FAMILY works with parents is a daily "report card" on the child's activities. You'll know what your son or daughter did that day, as well as a description of the child's mood, interraction with others, and other relevant information. It's a way of keeping parents informed about and connected with their children.

As of this publication, MY FAMILY has immediate openings for 20 more children at its 5,000 square-foot newly remodeled facility. In addition, Owens says there is a 1,000 square-foot playground.

Looking for a pre-school? MY FAMILY offers pre-school for three and four-year-olds.

A staff of 10 care-givers with 48 years of collective experience keep a loving and watchful eye, with each staff member meeting West Virginia license and training requirements, according to Owens.

Should an emergency situation happen, MY FAMILY is a block from CAMC Teays Valley Hospital, so doctors are just moments away.

Weekly day care rates are: $155- infants to 24 months (not potty-trained); $145 1-2 yrs (potty trained); $135-3 yrs & up to school age. The after-school program $75 week. (Local schools drop-off) Van available for out-of-district schools in Putnam County.

MY FAMILY is open Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. & evening day care until 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 6:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. It is closed Christmas Day, Thanksgiving Day, July 4^th, New Years, Memorial Day. Labor Day.

You reach MY FAMILY Day Care and Pre-School at 304-760-6146.