Kiddie Academy

by Jeannine Gage

Just like the hundreds of children it serves throughout Longwood/Lake Mary and Sanford/Heathrow, Kiddie Academy is growing up strong.

Owners Ted and Hilda Cockram are celebrating the 10th birthday of their Kiddie Academy location in Longwood/Lake Mary this year. The educational childcare center on Longwood Hills Road met such a critical need in the community that Hilda and Ted opened a second location at State Road 46 and I-4 to serve the Sanford/Heathrow area in 2019.

In the decade since Kiddie Academy began caring for our community’s kids, the dedicated staff has earned both locations rave reviews and countless awards.

They’ve been named the Kiddie Academy Franchise of the Year – out of 200 Kiddie Academies nationwide!

Director Karina Rodriguez has been with Ted and Hilda from the very beginning, and she’s been named National Director of the Year. Several of the schools’ teachers – Jenna Wigert, Maria Rodriguez, and Nilva Rivera – have won Regional Teacher of the Year awards, too.

Thanks to those excellent educators, Kiddie Academy has received the Macaroni Kid Family Favorite Award for Best Child Care or Best Camp for nine years in a row.

Kiddie Academy was named Seminole County’s Best Small Business by the Seminole Chamber. Both locations are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and the schools constantly host drives and fundraisers for several schools and organizations including Kids House, Harvest Time International, Woodlands Elementary, and Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando.

The awards are great, but the Kiddie Academy team knows there’s one accolade that matters most: the feedback they get from students and parents.

“I love how attentive the teachers are with the children,” says Rebekah Wreschinsky, whose two-year-old daughter Khloe attends the Kiddie Academy in Sanford/Heathrow. “My daughter enjoys her days at Kiddie Academy, and I love hearing about her day.”

The schools are an awesome place to learn and a great place to work, too.

“It’s one of the best jobs in the world – you have the opportunity to shape young minds through play!” says Ted.

The Kiddie Academy team is so proud that their students often start kindergarten at a first- or second-grade reading level, but they take special pride in the schools’ Character Essentials curriculum that ensures students age six weeks to 12 years become well-rounded young people full of respect and compassion.

In other words, the kids grow stronger and get even better every year, and our community’s Kiddie Academies are growing right along with them.