Learning Care Group and Sprout® Nurture Generosity at Schools Nationwide

NOVI, Mich., Jan. 31, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Students, families and teachers at more than 900 Learning Care Group schools nationwide have collected more than 7,700 new bedtime books and nearly 6,300 new cozy pajamas to help give thousands of underserved children a good night's sleep this winter. The drive, part of the Great Sprout Tuck-In, has helped teach the valuable lessons of kindness and generosity during the Season of Giving at Childtime, The Children's Courtyard, La Petite Academy and Tutor Time.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130131/DE51581 )

Held in conjunction with the Pajama Program, a national non-profit organization, the Great Sprout Tuck-In extends 24-hour preschool television channel Sprout's "Kindness Counts" mission and encourages families to share in the spirit of giving.  Among those benefitting from the drive are children in foster care who are waiting and hoping to be adopted.  Learning Care Group's support for the campaign is part of its ongoing partnership with Sprout, through which it emphasizes valuable life lessons children need to live, play and work alongside others.  In addition to the Great Sprout Tuck-In, education experts from Learning Care Group and Sprout have teamed to find ways to engage children in opportunities to develop an understanding of empathy.

"We are passionate about providing children with the tools they need to be successful in all aspects of their lives," said Dr. Susan Canizares, Chief Academic Officer, Learning Care Group. "Through the Great Sprout Tuck-In, we've been able to bring kindness, generosity, and community spirit to life in a way that's meaningful for them. We look forward to continuing to work with Sprout in teaching these indispensible life lessons." 

Learning Care Group continues to support Sprout's "Kindness Counts" initiative, which aims to ultimately record one million acts of kindness from families across the country. In addition to points earned for the Great Sprout Tuck-In, the schools have already tallied more than 127,000 kind acts on Sprout's Kindness Counter -- contributed during last winter's Season of Kindness and tied to the company's newly launched Grow Fit healthy living program.  

"Learning Care Group continues to be a wonderful partner and supporter of Sprout's 'Kindness Counts' initiative," said Jim Multari, VP of Marketing for Sprout. "Through the kindness of families participating in the Great Sprout Tuck-In with Learning Care Group, we were able to provide the Pajama Program with new pajamas and books to benefit thousands of underserved children throughout the U.S. and help them have a warmer, happier holiday season." 

To mark the successful conclusion of the campaign, hundreds of the schools held pajama party celebrations with children dressed in their favorite "PJs".  

About Learning Care Group, Inc.
Headquartered in Novi, Mich., Learning Care Group provides early education and child care services to children ages 6 weeks to 13 years under its umbrella of brands: The Children's Courtyard, Childtime Learning Centers, La Petite Academy, Montessori Unlimited and Tutor Time Child Care/Learning Centers.  Learning Care Group operates more than 900 schools (corporate and franchise) across 36 states, the District of Columbia and internationally, and has a system-wide capacity to serve more than 100,000 children.  For more information, please visit www.learningcaregroup.com

About Sprout^®
Sprout is the first 24-hour preschool destination available on TV, on demand and online for children ages 2-5 and their parents and caregivers.  Available in over 50 million homes, the 24-hour digital channel is the only network that follows the day of a preschooler from breakfast to bedtime with its distinctive, interactive programming and original hosted daypart blocks that parents and kids share together.  Viewers are encouraged to submit artwork, birthday wishes, videos and more through SproutOnline.com, which has received over five million viewer interactions to-date. Sprout's VOD offering is the #1 on demand service for younger children with over one billion views.  Sprout is a top-rated kids' network with consecutive monthly year-over-year double-digit percentage growth for 2012. 

The network's program lineup of gold-standard, curriculum-based preschool series includes originals like The Chica Show, Noodle and Doodle, and Pajanimals (co-produced with The Jim Henson Company), as well as Sesame Street^®, Barney & Friends^™, The Wiggles^®, Caillou^®,  Thomas & Friends^™,  LazyTown^™ and more.  Sprout is a partnership among NBCUniversal, PBS and Apax Funds. 

www.SproutOnline.com
www.facebook.com/Sprout
www.twitter.com/SproutTV

About Pajama Program

Pajama Program provides new pajamas and new books to children in need, many who are waiting and hoping to be adopted. These children live in various situations including group homes, shelters and temporary housing facilities and are shuffled often from one place to another. Many of them have been abandoned, abused or neglected. Most of these children have never enjoyed the simple comfort of having a mother or father tuck them in at bedtime with warm, clean pajamas and a bedtime story. Some of the children we serve are living with their families below the poverty level, in desperate need of food, clothing and shelter. Pajama Program has 79 chapters in 42 States and operates three (3) Reading Centers: New York, NY, Yonkers, NY and Red Bank, NJ. Around the U.S. our local chapters have begun organizing reading groups for the children we serve in their communities. Website: www.pajamaprogram.org

SOURCE Learning Care Group