Rainbow Riders Childcare Center
Knollwood Building
Phone: (540) 951-3636
307 N. Knollwood Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24060
CRC Building
Phone: (540) 552-3636
1800 Ramble Road
Blacksburg, VA 24060
Knollwood Building
Phone: (540) 951-3636
307 N. Knollwood Drive
Blacksburg, VA 24060
CRC Building
Phone: (540) 552-3636
1800 Ramble Road
Blacksburg, VA 24060
Accredited by NAEYC - National Association for the Education of Young Children
Rainbow Riders opened its doors and its arms to children on August 26, 1986. Since that time, we have provided care for children ages six weeks to 12 years. We place an emphasis on making our environment a happy place where children can grow and learn. Developmentally appropriate opportunities encourage children to engage in a variety of experiences each day. We strive to ensure that each child feels loved, successful, and respected by the members of our learning community. Developing positive relationships is accomplished through professional teaching strategies, creative curriculum planning and involvement of families in our program.
Rainbow Riders has two sites that were designed with input from families and teachers to create safe, beautiful, and child-friendly environments. The Knollwood site opened in 1999. Ten years later, the Corporate Research Center (CRC) site opened in 2009. The Knollwood site provides about 200 enrollment slots and the CRC site offers about 240. While most class groups are full time, there are half-day morning preschool programs (8:30 - 12:30) at both sites for children ages 2 ½ to 5 years. This program operates with the same schedule as Montgomery County Public School system and closes whenever they are closed.
In the Fall of 2008, Rainbow Riders received grant awards from Virginia Tech (VT) and the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center (CRC). The grants enabled Rainbow Riders to expand operations by constructing a new facility. The new building opened August of 2009 and located on CRC property just down the road from the current location. The facility is approximately 19,600 square feet and serves about 240 children.
The agreements provide enrollment for VT and CRC affiliated families as well as children from the community at both locations. The percentages are based on “new enrollment” after currently enrolled families and staff children, who remain our top priority, are accommodated. The enrollment allocation is: 60% for VT; 12% for CRC; 12% for additional partners; and 16% for our community waiting list. The new enrollment process has been refined with assistance from a VT senior engineering project and input from VT and CRC.