Joy in Learning has been providing childcare services to children and their families since 1983. For over 35 years, Joy in Learning has been in business to serve the needs of working families by offering quality child care in a home-like environment.

Through the years, the staff of Joy in Learning has watched many children grow and graduate - from preschool to high school. Today these children not only come back to visit, but also work at the center and in many cases choose to send their young children to the same place they went as kids.

Mission and Objectives

• At Joy in Learning, we believe that our centers will serve as a basic support for the family.
• Our role is to enhance and expand the parent's relationship with the child through a program rich in tolerance, encouragement and acceptance.

The objectives of the Joy In Learning Child Care Centers are to:

• Demonstrate, through example, opportunity and informal conversation, the Joy inherent In all Learning.
• Provide an atmosphere of respect and caring for young children and each other. The ultimate goal is to enhance the child's self esteem while facilitating his or her potential for optimal personal development.
• Schedule a balanced day of activity, rest, nourishment, and creative involvement.
• Supply materials and equipment conducive to learning about self, family, community, environment, math and science, music and art, literature, and architecture

Staff

• At the heart of each child's learning experience is a staff of caring professionals to guide each child. Joy In Learning's qualified, caring teachers strive to build a strong educational relationship with children and their parents. All our staff share a common commitment to nurturing and educating young children.
• At Joy In Learning, we know that our families depend on qualified and nurturing caregivers and teachers. Our Business Office places a priority on finding, hiring, and retaining qualified staff. All employees must meet MSDE regulation requirements in order to be eligible for employment. Potential staff members, after interviewing, spend time in the classroom where each candidate is observed interacting with children, parents, and other staff members.
• Joy In Learning staff is constantly improving their skills through on-going mentoring and continued education training. Staff members must complete training in the identified core of knowledge areas yearly.
• Joy In Learning is proud to be a partner with TEACH Institute through Anne Arundel Community College. Education students are permitted to complete fieldwork at our center locations in Anne Arundel and Howard counties. Each semester we cooperatively work with students to broaden their experiences with young children and learn through a hands-on approach.

Our Environment

• All children have an innate curiosity and desire to learn. At Joy in Learning we promote the joy inherent in all learning. In our homelike setting, children feel free and secure to discover and explore and learn at their own pace.
• At Joy In Learning, we are concerned with the safety and well-being of all the children in its care. Everything from toy selection, to room layout, to playground equipment is designed with the health and safety of your child in mind.

Our Commitment to Safety & Security

• The staff is trained in cleanliness procedures, established by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), designed to maintain a healthy environment. These procedures include frequent hand-washing and the sanitizing of toys and equipment on a regular basis.
• All Joy in Learning locations offer a monitoring system. A monitor is also available in the Director's Office to view the classrooms at all centers.
• We further protect the children's safety with the following procedures: sign-in and sing-out sheets, regular fire drills, posted evacuation plans in each classroom, medication and food allergy logs, First Aid, CPR and Emergency Preparedness training for staff and interior and exterior preventative maintenance for insects.

History

Joy in Learning has been providing quality childcare in a home-like setting to children and their families since 1984.

• November 1983 - Incorporated
• January 1984 - Glen Burnie center opened, licensed capacity 18
• January 1985 - Glen Burnie center expanded, licensed capacity 38
• October 1985 - Acquired Marley Park center (formally Tiny Tots), licensed capacity 36
• July 1990 - Acquired Annapolis center (formally Mulberry Bush), licensed capacity 38
• September 1990 - Opened Security center, licensed capacity 40
• January 1992 - Sold Security
• November 1993 - 10 year Anniversary
• November 1997 - Expanded Annapolis center with School Age program, licensed capacity 66
• January 1998 - Expanded Glen Burnie center with School Age program, licensed capacity 60
• January 1998 - Opened Severna Park center, licensed capacity 40
• August 1998 - Acquired Columbia center (formally Kindercare), licensed capacity 96
• March 1999 - Sold Severna Park center
• November 1993 - 20 year Anniversary
• May 2007 - Columbia center is renovated to provide care for Infants/Toddlers, capacity 94
• August 2013 - Expanded Annapolis center, licensed capacity 82
• November 2013 - Joy In Learning celebrates 30 years 
• January 2022 - Columbia Center Closed