With the days to Christmas ticking down quickly, parents may find themselves burning the candle at both ends.

Last Saturday, Toddlers Schools, which operates seven local state-licensed educational childcare facilities, offered parents a precious gift – the gift of time.

For the second year, Toddlers Schools offered a day of free childcare in return for a non-perishable food item to be donated to the Northwestern Ohio Food Bank.

“It’s so hard to shop or do other holiday errands when you have kids with you,” said Ellen Finkbeiner, communications director for Toddlers Schools. “We felt this was a way of allowing parents to shop at their leisure and not have to worry about paying for a babysitter or if their kids are being taken care of.

“In addition, the kids had a fun day and the collected food items will help the food bank,” she said. “We feel this is a winning situation for everyone.”

Five of the school’s seven locations participated, including locations at 806 Starr Ave., in Toledo and 3158 Navarre Ave., Oregon. “We had a good response,” Finkbeiner said. “The Rossford center had about 35 children; Starr and Main had about 18 or 20 and Navarre had about 30.”

Throughout the day, children enjoyed activities, food and a visit with Santa. They each took home a photo as a memento of the day.

The effort raised three large boxes filled with food for the food bank, Finkbeiner said.

For more information about Toddlers School, visit www.toddlersschools.com or call Toddlers School I, 631 Euclid Ave., Toledo, at 419-691-6444; Toddlers School II, 3158 Navarre Ave., Oregon at 419-693-6982 or Toddlers School IV, 806 Starr Ave., Toledo at 419-693-7550.

Lauri-lynn Perez, director of the Oregon Toddlers School, located at 3158 Navarre Ave., helps young Kaleiyah Sadoway make a Christmas bell. (Press photo by Ken Grosjean)

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