Shortly before school started in August, a group of children shuffled into the Shoe Department store at 1014 West Taft, which wasn’t altogether that unique, except that this wasn’t a parent with her few children—it was an entire daycare.
Ten years ago, Julie Roth, the owner of Leaps ‘n Bounds Child Care, had a vision to help families prepare for the new school year. “When I was young, I always looked forward to a new school year because it meant a new pair of shoes,” Roth said. “I also wanted to see the kids get excited to ‘kick off’ the year with positive energy and excitement to learn and grow.”
Roth set out to bring that vision to life a decade ago, and approximately 10 children got a new pair of shoes that first year, courtesy of Roth. Now, ten years later, the daycare has grown, but Roth hasn’t quit yet. Leaps n’ Bounds purchased 57 pairs of shoes for children starting in Pre-K and beyond who are enrolled in the daycare.
“The kids love it because they get to pick out what they want,” Roth said, adding that the experience is really part of her curriculum, where they learn social skills for being in different settings in life. “Part of our preschool curriculum is that we learn social skills for being in different settings throughout life. We role-play eating in restaurants, shopping in grocery stores, going to the movies and shopping for clothes,” she said. “As caretakers and educators, it’s heartwarming to see how well-behaved the children are and how they interact with each other and help each other. It proves to us they are soaking in what we are trying to teach them. We always get compliments from Shoe Department staff and customers on how awesome our kids are.”
Despite the annual expense, Roth says that Leaps n Bounds does not receive outside funding for this event. “It is strictly a gratitude of thankfulness to our parents who trust us to care for their children,” she said. In fact, she’s setting her sights even higher: “Our goal is to one day have 100 pairs to purchase!” she said.
Veda, the manager at the Shoe Department store in Sapulpa, has been welcoming the children for the last ten years. “We are so grateful to Veda for welcoming us with a smile and providing the best staff all these years!” Roth said.
Leaps ‘n Bounds has been serving the Sapulpa community for 23 years with 2 locations. Learn more by calling (918) 216-4011 or visiting 732 N. Brown Street.
