When most parents head to work in the morning, they make an extra trip to drop their young children off at a day-care center. But the employees at Homeward Bound Health Services have the pleasure of bringing their children to work with them.

Safe Harbor is the name given to the on-site day-care and preschool center at Homeward Bound, where the workers can leave their children in the care of professionals who are right around the corner.

"I love that I am so close to them, and I can check on them anytime that I need to," Tracy Gerstner said. Ms. Gerstner has been with the company since its start in 1991. The mother of two - Andrew, 4, and Madison, 7 - Ms. Gerstner said she likes knowing her children are having fun and learning in the safety of the on-site day-care center.

Lynn Stoll began Homeward Bound when she was a single mother of three who didn't want to leave her children in a day care with strangers. As a solution, the company began work on what is now the Safe Harbor day-care center.

"Because of the day care, we have had a lot of nurses and other people work for the company who wouldn't have otherwise been able to," said Dawn Ankrom-Brown, Ms. Stoll's sister, who also works for Homeward Bound.

During the school year, there are up to 18 children who range in age from 6 weeks to 4 years, but normally there are only six to 10 children at a time.

"I really believe parents do much better in the field when they have the peace of mind knowing their children are being very well taken care of," said Stacie Simpson, day-care supervisor.

Homeward Bound, with about 50 employees, is a home health agency that provides care to people in the comfort of their homes with services that are covered by Medicare. The company pays for the day-care services and charges the parents a minimal fee.

Children are served breakfast, lunch and snacks and participate in various activities including skating, bowling and trips to the Remington Nature Center of St. Joseph and the Kansas City Zoo. During the school year, the children follow a daily routine that includes numerous learning activities.

"Most of our kids are kindergarten-ready, spelling their names and reading, when they leave here, and I think that is mostly because our staff ratio to kids is so great," Ms. Simpson said. There are always three qualified professionals at the day care to make sure each child gets enough attention.

Leah Garcia does marketing for Homeward Bound while her two boys, Logan, 3, and Joe, 10 months, stay in the day care.

"It's so nice to be able to bring them to work in the morning and know they are being very well taken care of," Ms. Garcia said. "If anything happens or if the kids get sick, I'm right here to help."

According to Janet Root, director of child-care resource and referral for the YWCA, Homeward Bound is the only business in St. Joseph to provide on-site day-care services specifically for its employees.

Ann Weston, Success By 6 project coordinator for the United Way of Greater St. Joseph, said most businesses do not, or cannot, offer on-site child care because of the cost.

"It is very expensive, and tough to start up without any supporting resources," Ms. Weston said.

Ms. Root advises parents in search of quality child care to look to see if a day-care center is licensed. According to the Department of Health and Senior Services, there are 66 regulated licensed child-care facilities in Buchanan County. This number includes 37 child-care centers, 17 family homes and 12 licence-exempt facilities.

Homeward Bound is currently looking into getting a licence for the on-site day care. The facility opens at 7:30 a.m. and remains open until the last child is picked up.

"I really think the day care is who we are," Ms. Ankrom-Brown said. "I can't imagine not having it. It has always been a part of us."