Madge Lancaster
Director
Madge directs Cushion for Cornerstone Church. She answers the phone before the first shift starts and walks every new family through the rooms herself.
A ministry of Cornerstone Church in Republic
Child care that opens before the first shift
Cushion cares for children from 6 weeks to 5 years, Monday to Friday from 5:30 am. We are a church ministry, exempt from state licensing, and we say exactly what that means before you enroll.
Where we stand
What the state exemption covers, and what we do each day
Cushion is the child care ministry of Cornerstone Church, and Missouri exempts it from state licensing.
License
A ministry of Cornerstone Church. Cushion is exempt from state child care licensing under Missouri's religious exemption, so the state does not license it. Ask the DESE Office of Childhood what the exemption covers. We give every family this notice in writing before a child starts.
Adults to children
1 adult to 4 children
Infants, 6 weeks to 2 years
1 adult to 8 children
Twos, 2 to 3 years
1 adult to 10 children
Threes, 3 to 4 years
1 adult to 10 children
Fours, 4 to 5 years
Capacity
45
Ages 6 weeks to 5 years
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Safe sleep training
- Mandated reporter training
- Food handler training
Safety routines
Drop-off and pickup
A teacher greets each child at the room door. We hand a child over only to the people you list in writing, and we ask for ID from anyone we don't know.
Allergies
Tell us about any allergy at the tour. Once you enroll, we ask again in private.
How babies sleep
Babies sleep on their backs, in their own cot, with nothing else in the cot. Older children rest on cots with their own blanket.
Clean hands
Every room washes hands on arrival, before meals and after outdoor play.
The fenced yard
Each room goes out to the fenced yard with its own teacher, and the gate stays latched while children are outside.
Fire drills
Each room practices a fire drill with the teacher who leads it, so the walk to the door is familiar.
Ask us about child care assistance
Sample details.
Exempt status
Exempt from state licensing, and plain about it
Missouri law exempts child care run by a church or other religious organization from state licensing. Cushion is run by Cornerstone Church, so the state does not license it.
We tell every family this in writing before a child starts. If you want to know more about the exemption, the Office of Childhood at Missouri's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education can answer your questions.
Run by Cornerstone Church
Exempt from state licensing
Families of any faith are welcome
Four rooms
Each room, and the schedules it offers
Pick the schedule that follows your shift.
| Ages | Adults to children | Full day5:30 am–5:30 pm5 days a week | Half day5:30 am–12:30 pm5 days a week | Part week5:30 am–5:30 pmMonday, Wednesday, Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Infants6 weeks to 2 yearsA rocker, floor mats and a nap room of their own cots. | 1 adult to 4 children | Offered | Waitlist | Not offered |
| Twos2 to 3 yearsLow tables, blocks and a play kitchen. | 1 adult to 8 children | Offered | Offered | Offered |
| Threes3 to 4 yearsCircle time, paint and a reading corner. | 1 adult to 10 children | Offered | Offered | Waitlist |
| Fours4 to 5 yearsStories, songs and letters on a long table. | 1 adult to 10 children | Offered | Full | Offered |
Fees and what each is for
- Registration
- Opens your child's file and goes in with the application.
- Holding a place
- Keeps a place until the first day and goes toward the first month's tuition.
- Supplies
- Paper, paint and the things that wear out with use.
Places by room change through the year; ask at the tour.
Sample programs.
Our team
Who cares for your child
Madge, Tyronda and Ferlin lead the rooms, and you meet them at the tour.
Tyronda Guyton
Infant room lead
Tyronda leads the infant room. She keeps a notebook of each baby's feeds and naps, and you read it at pickup.
Ferlin Hopper
Teacher, threes and fours
Ferlin leads the older rooms. He tells the morning story, plays guitar at circle time and walks the fours through a school-day routine in the spring.
Through the year
Open houses, first days and closures
Come to an open house to see all four rooms, or book a tour any weekday.
This school year
Early August
Open houseFall open house
Walk through the four rooms and meet each room's teacher. Bring your child.
Mid August
First dayFirst day of the school year
The rooms move up and new families start.
Late November
ClosedThanksgiving closure
Closed Thursday and Friday.
Late December
ClosedWinter closure
Closed from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day.
Early March
Open houseSpring open house
See the rooms again and meet the teachers your child will have next year.
Mid April
Applications openFall places open
Applications open for the fall rooms.
Sample dates.
Parent handbook
Everything in one document you can keep
Hours, illness and pickup rules, what to bring, and the exempt notice we give every family before a child starts.
How to enroll
- 01
Step 1: Get in touch
Call, send a message or use the form. Madge or the office answers, usually before the first shift starts.
- 02
Step 2: Book a tour
Come see the rooms with your child; it takes about half an hour. Ask anything, including the tuition figures.
- 03
Step 3: Apply
Fill out the application with the room and schedule you need. If the room is full, we put your family on the waitlist and call when a place opens.
- 04
Step 4: Register
Madge gives you the forms and you fill them out in private: your child's details, health and the people who may pick them up. You also read and sign the exempt notice.
- 05
Step 5: The first day
Bring a change of clothes and whatever your child sleeps with. We ask you to stay a few minutes so the goodbye is calm.
Questions we hear most
What ages do you take?
From 6 weeks to 5 years, in four rooms: infants, twos, threes and fours.
What are your hours?
Monday to Friday, 5:30 am to 5:30 pm, which lets families on the early shift drop off before work. We are closed on weekends.
What does exempt from state licensing mean?
Missouri law exempts child care run by a church or other religious organization from state licensing. Cushion is run by Cornerstone Church, so the state does not license it. The Office of Childhood can answer questions about the exemption.
Do you teach religion?
Each day has a short Bible story, a song and a blessing before lunch, at each age's pace. Families of any faith are welcome, and Madge is glad to talk through what a day looks like for your child.
How does tuition work?
It depends on your child's room, the schedule and the days a week. Madge gives you the figures in writing at the tour.
What if my child is sick?
We ask that your child stay home with a fever, vomiting or diarrhea and come back after a full day without symptoms. The parent handbook has the full list.
How do I join the waitlist?
Fill out the application for the room and schedule you need. When a place opens, we call the family that has waited longest.
Come see the four rooms
Book a tour, meet Madge and ask whatever you like.