Child care persevered during the toughest of times this past year as providers cared for children of a workforce essential to the businesses and industries that drive the Paris and Lamar County economy. Fifteen state licensed child care centers provide a range of care, some offer full-day care for infants through preschool and school-age children while others only provide afternoon care for school-age children. In addition, there is a plethora of licensed group care homes and registered homes in the area. While this article focuses on not-for-profit and church-related centers, it acknowledges the service other providers offer as well. The longest-serving provider of full-time center care for infants through school-age children, Lollypop Learning Center, 3030 Lamar Ave., first began as a privately owned enterprise in 1978, became a nonprofit 501(c)(3) facility governed by a board of directors in the early 1990s and continues under that structure today. With 25 years in child care, Sandra Sigler serves as the centerâs director.