Children & Youth

Nursery and Child Care

We believe that children deeply enrich our parish family and we encourage families with children of all ages to worship together, but we also understand that there are times when an age-appropriate play environment may be more suitable for a preschooler. Recognizing this, we offer the following child care during Sunday worship:

• Infants and children up to age 2: In the Nursery from 8:45 a.m. until 12:30 p.m.
• Children age 2 to 5: In age-appropriate rooms and the playground (weather permitting) from 8:45 a.m. until 10:10 a.m. and in the room adjoining the nursery from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

  We encourage parents to pick up their children during the church service at the time of the Peace so that the whole family may participate in Holy Communion together. You may bring infants and toddlers to the altar rail to receive Communion or a blessing.

• Child care is also available during our 5:30 p.m. Celtic service on Sundays, from 5:15-6:45 p.m.

Our Nursery and Child Care rooms are located on the lower level of the Parish Hall. They are staffed with a combination of paid care givers and parish volunteers. Our paid child care providers and nursery attendants are CPR certified and have attended a full diocesan workshop on the prevention of child sexual abuse and adult sexual misconduct. You will recognize them by their brightly colored smocks.

Kathy Tappen, our Director of Preschool Ministries and Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, also serves as the Nursery and Child Care coordinator, working to ensure that our facilities are well staffed and regularly cleaned and maintained. Please feel free to contact her with any questions, comments, or concerns you might have, at 288-2867, extension 314, or ktappen@saintstephensrichmond.net.