Mothers of small children do not have much free time, but thanks to First Baptist Church of Andalusia, they can now have one or two days a week to enjoy a “mother’s day out.”

Mother’s Day Out is a program offered by the church, where mothers can drop off their young children from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, giving those parents a chance to get some errands done, or just get a little bit of extra free time.

“It’s for the mothers to be able to shop, get some housework done and just do whatever they need to do,” said coordinator Beverly Farrington. “It’s also for the children to learn social skills, and we also teach them things like in school. We teach them their ABC’s and numbers … we’re trying to prepare them for kindergarten.”

Farrington said 25-30 children from ages 1-5 are currently enrolled in the program, which continues through May. There are six full-time “teachers” for the program, including several who are retired schoolteachers.

The fee is $95 for Tuesdays and Thursdays for a full month, or $50 for one day a week for a month.

Farrington said Mother’s Day Out provides far more than simply giving children a place to play for a few hours.

“We try to incorporate learning skills for the children,” Farrington said. “It’s just a private type thing that the church offers to the community. We try to teach them biblical principles, and how the Lord teaches us how to act and treat others. We’re learning Bible verses and doing a little Bible story at least one day a week for the children.”

She added that children who participate in the program are a step ahead of their peers, when they finally start kindergarten.

“They’ve learned how to follow rules in the classroom, and how to listen and to be quiet,” she said. “They’ve learned to play with others; they’ve learned to share and take turns. They’ve learned a lot of the social skills they need to know before they reach kindergarten.”

For more information or to enroll in the program, call Farrington at 222-7859 or pick up an application form at the church.

“We’re still taking applications,” she said.