Child care directors voice their
concerns
Article published in the Manchester Journal
November 28, 2003
By Ellen Sussman, Journal Correspondent
NORTHSHIRE - With 73 years of knowledge and experience caring
for infants, toddlers and pre-school age children between them,
the directors of four area child care centers agree that although
they operate with tight budgets, the children they are entrusted
with are safe, well-cared for and thriving.
Approximately 250 young children attend the four child care centers
either full or part time, and the centers each accept newborns
at 6 weeks old.
Three of the child care centers - Northshire Day School (NDS)
and Home Away From Home in Manchester and Happy Days Play School
in Arlington - are non-profit and governed by a board of directors.
West Winds Child Care in Manchester is privately owned.
Inquiring to see if the four directors believe there is a crisis
in child care in the Northshire, the directors shared their thoughts,
hopes, successes and ongoing challenges with the Journal.
In Manchester, directors Deb Wyman of Home Away From Home and
Carol Kern of Northshire Day School said child care for children
up to age 3 is tight.
"Infant and toddler care is struggling; the 4:1 [state-mandated]
ratio of children to teachers makes it difficult for good care
for infants," Wyman said. Kern said she believes there is
a crisis in child care from birth to age 3.
Inadequate space at the outdated NDS building on Highland Avenue
prevents more infants or toddlers from being accommodated, Kern
said.
Happy Days Play School Director Carol Barbierri believes the crisis
is statewide, not merely confined to the Northshire. Happy Days
expanded from 38 slots for children to 75 upon its move to a new
facility last November. Barbierri explained that 75 "slots" actually
accommodates more than 75 children because some attend part time,
which makes space available for others. Some children attend for
only two hours a day after school.
Eight spaces for newborns in the old location were expanded to
23 spaces for children under age 3 in the new building. "But
still, there's a waiting list for under 3," she said.
Barbara Goodell, owner of privately-owned West Winds Child Care,
doesn't view the shortage for infant and toddler care as a crisis,
but said more child care centers in the area would be an asset
so parents could have more choice regarding the type of facility,
staff, child care philosophy and overall size.
Goodell, displaying her educational values on her T-shirt, which
in large, bright-colored letters read, "Play!" said that
for children at West Winds, the focus is on play and learning social
skills. She said she believes one person can't satisfactorily take
care of four babies, as per the state-mandated ratio. West Winds'
current ratio for infants is 2:1.
Happy Days in Arlington is also above the state average with a
3:1 ratio for children under age 3.
All four child care centers keep waiting lists. At NDS, Kern said
there's a waiting list for just about all ages for five-days-a-week
child care, as well as for infant care.
Goodell said women often call to get their name onto the waiting
list when they're pregnant. "We only accept four infants.
When infants move to 'toddler' at age 1, this infant space opens
up," she explained.
Goodell said that when toddlers are "transitioning" and
learning to walk, it may not be safe for them to be with infants. "Our
main goal is safety for children," she said.
Barbierri said that for families with an infant and a toddler,
she may have a space for one but not the other, and parents generally
prefer that both children are in the same child care center.
The directors said they believe the costs of child care and paying
staff a fair wage to be the biggest child care issues in the Northshire.
At NDS, families pay $120 per child per week, with 25 percent less
for a second child.
"This is a burden; it's a big chunk for families," Kern
said.
NDS offers its staff members benefits and a simple retirement
fund and Kern said they consider themselves lucky to have had little
turnover.
West Winds' Goodell cited "keeping and paying staff enough
to maintain them and what they're worth" as a major concern.
Because it is privately owned, West Winds isn't eligible for any
public funds.
Barbierri's response factored in her 20 years of experience as
director of Happy Days. "People don't see child care as a
profession," she said. "It's not an easy job ... we're
teaching, not baby-sitting, yet we're not seen or paid as professionals."
A family-centered child care center, Barbierri said each family
brings kids up differently. "Essentially, we're bringing kids
up 75 different ways," she said.
At Home Away From Home, Wyman said the biggest problem is accommodating
the infant/toddler need.
Discussing challenges they have each overcome in the past three-to-five
years, Wyman said for her it's the ongoing financial struggles. "We
do a lot of fund raisers to purchase toys, books and art supplies." With
12-hour days and going to school at night, Wyman said sometimes
it's also a personal struggle.
For Barbierri, the three-to-five years it took to raise funds
and build a new facility was a challenge. Faced with too little
space and a high rent, it was difficult for years, she said.
The years of hardship have reaped visible rewards. The main room
of Happy Days' new building is large, light and colorful and can
accommodate all of the children for parties and events. There's
a mailbox for each family at the entry, plus a bulletin board and
soft easy chairs.
Each of three pre-school rooms has a door that opens to the outdoors,
which has a large, fenced-in playground. The infant rooms have
their own bathroom complete with changing table.
There's a cook and laundry area, and breakfast, lunch and snacks
are included in the cost.
Happy Days offers parenting programs, reading discussion groups,
free books for children and an arts program. A speech and language
therapist is on site daily and an "early interventionist" is
available four days each week to work with children needing help
in academic, motor or cognitive areas.
Goodell said small challenges have been met and dealt with along
the way, but the center's greatest difficulty was with town zoning
when it opened in 1995.
Of the four child care centers, Happy Days is the only facility
built specifically for child care. Northshire Day School hopes
to be as successful one year from now and be in a larger, new building.
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