From left, Landon, Kalani and Caroline play in the Elmo Room at Lifesteps in Butler Township. Lifesteps offers 65 programs and services to county residents from age 6 weeks to senior citizens.

Lifesteps' motto — “Helping along life's journey” — is more than just a few words strung together to attach to its literature.

The organization offers programs and services to county residents, ages 6 weeks and above.

The Lifesteps facility on the corner of New Castle and North Eberhart roads houses the child care and early education programs for infants to children who are 6 years old or entering kindergarten.

Lifesteps currently has 103 babies, toddlers and preschoolers enrolled in the early childhood programs at the Butler Township location.

While those children receive preschool curriculum, Lifesteps also offers PreK Counts for 140 children, ages 3 and 4, at South Butler County School District, satellite facilities in Beaver County and Kittanning in Armstrong County. That service is offered free to families with qualifying incomes.

At the Butler Township location's early childhood department on the building's lower level, curriculum exists even for clients swaddled in receiving blankets or batting at a rattle.

This is an excerpt from Part One of a two-part story about Lifesteps appearing in the Monday and Thursday editions of the Butler Eagle. To learn more about Lifesteps' early childhood and intergenerational programs, make sure to pick up Monday's Butler Eagle.