Epilogue

Dear parents, staff and friends of the UNI Child Development Center

We continue working to maintain the current enrollment (capacity) and quality of the CDC. The risk to the CDC is still of great concern.

Under the Correspondence tab, you may observe all the e-mails exchanged between the administration (Dean Watson, President Allen, Provost Gibson, Dr. Countryman, Dr.Davidson, and Ms.York) and your representatives (Parent members of the UNI CDC Policy Board);

You can raise your voice and add some comments in the Comments & Questions tab;

You may join our mailing list (the last tab), or contact us by email at unicdcparents@gmail.com ;

Also, be sure to follow the CDC on Facebook.
Social media counts!

Thanks for your continued support and your very personal stories. Keep them coming!

Parent Letter to Dean Watson

Dear Dean Watson,

Thank you for your attention to the current issue that is affecting UNI students, parents, children, faculty and staff of the UNI Child Development Center.

On Tuesday 04/26/2011, I attended the informational parents meeting hosted by the UNI CDC Policy Board Members. Unfortunately, there was no formal decision on your or the University of Northern Iowa behalf, in regards to the resolution of the issue that the CDC is facing because the State Fire Marshall inspection was postponed. Although, I understand somehow the complexity of the issue, I cannot understand why a contingency plan or timeline has not been announced to assist those who will be affected if there are any changes to the UNI CDC due to the inspection.

Early this month you stated that you were trying to find “other viable solutions” that will ensure that the University of Northern Iowa CDC “will not be eliminating 24 students, and all classrooms will be utilized to accommodate our current capacity.” In your e-mail you expressed that “These changes may affect enrollments, but not the displacement of existing students.” My family and I would like to know, if your statement still holds true, and we don’t have to worry that we will have to find different childcare for our daughter.

As I type this, there is uncertainty in our family, and professional plans due to the lack of official response on the issue. I’m not sure if you understand the urgency that this matter presents to us, students, parents, faculty, and staff that might be affected by your decision. Quality childcare providers in the area are hard to find, and those childcare providers, which to our and a vast majority opinion, are below to the CDC standards, currently have a year and a half waiting list to accept any children of our daughters age. Unfortunately, this issue affects not only the childcare arrangements in our family, but also our professional lives. If we do not find a proper childcare provider, one of us will have to stay at home to provide care for our daughter.

I honestly do not want that my daughter or other children will lose the privilege of being educated at the UNI CDC. My wife and I received a great education at UNI, and we truly believe our daughter should follow our footsteps receiving the outstanding education that only the UNI CDC can offer.

Due to the urgency of the matter, I respectfully request that you can provide our family, parents, faculty and staff that are affected by this suspense with an answer within this week.

Sincerely,

Redgie Blanco

Father of Marisol Blanco Anacker

Another transfer?! But this time it was MUCH different!!!!

I came to know about the UNI Child Development Center in July of 2004. I was a Head Start parent at that time with my two girls, Lauryn and Kaytlyn in childcare while I was working and going to school. My girls had been transferred to three childcare centers in a years time and the one they were currently attending was shutting down at the end of July. Head Start transferred my oldest to one preschool and my youngest to UNI CDC. Lauryn was 18 months at that time. Kaytlyn was 3. I had not heard of the CDC at all but I was soon

Looking for tools!

amazed at what the teachers were doing with Lauryn! My child was cooking, building, writing (in her form of writing - which was encouraged!!!), naming colors and shapes, singing and dancing and getting daily walks around campus no matter the weather!! I was ecstatic about the care she was receiving and how the lead teachers treated us like family and respected us as parents and our child's first teacher. It was finally nice to be heard by our child's teachers and even more by a director! I loved the UNI CDC so much, I worked hard to get Kaytlyn transferred over as soon as possible because I was not happy with her current preschool placement. 7 months later, Kaytlyn had her first day at the UNI CDC in the 3-5 room. Kaytlyn absolutely loved it and after her her first week, during a weekend dinner I asked Kaytlyn how she liked her new school and her words were: "I love it, it's like no school I have ever been to, Mom!" That is written in her baby book! Lauryn and Kaytlyn both loved going to the CDC. They couldn't wait to go and they didn't want me to come and get them early either! They would actually get mad if I showed up off schedule to pick them up!

Dramatic Play

In 2006, I became pregnant with our third child and had a rare condition caused by the pregnancy with my hands in which after having our baby boy, Jaxyn I couldn't hardly do anything. My hands were to the point of paralysis and had no feelings in them. I couldn't even hold my own baby! I couldn't be alone with my children due to not being able to help them with their activities of daily living, let alone do my own. Jaxyn's lead teachers Danielle Schmitt and Gwen Dayton were great with helping me out. If one of them couldn't help me get Jaxyn inside they made sure that someone was there to help me. Director, Candice York would always ask how I was doing and offer to help with Jaxyn and my girls anytime I needed her - I know her offer was genuine but I also knew how busy she was and thought it was really great of someone like her to even offer! There were times that Candice came out to my van to pick up Jaxyn to help bring him inside because I couldn't lift him or his carseat. These three, amongst the other staff were so helpful and a blessing to me at that time. Since this time, my hands have gained back 85% use and strength.

In August, 2007 I took a full time job with UNI and transferred into my current job at the UNI CDC as Family Support Services Specialist and absolutely love my job. I not only get to work with great families there but also a great team of teachers and a director who cares about her staff and very much about the care and safety of the children we serve!

Cooking

Having all three of my children at the CDC has been a blessing in itself! I have always known that they are safe and amongst others who love them as much as I do! Being a parent at the CDC, makes you feel like you have an extended family that you can call on for anything! For instance, in the flood of 2008, as a family we lost 75% of our belongings and my daughter, Kaytlyn(7 at the time lost everything). The UNI CDC staff and families came together and brought us clothing, food, and money to help out in this time of need. Director, Candice York opened her home to our family of 5 - I did hesitate to take her up on that but didn't know where else we would go at the time! Everything that came together was brought together by this family - our UNI CDC family - and we were so blessed to be a part of it!!! Since the flood, the UNI CDC staff and other families have been there through my divorce and difficult issues I have had to face regarding that and helping my children deal with divorce as well. Our UNI CDC family has been a tremendous gift to my family and me! I don't know what I would do without this great system of support!!

Trying new foods

The UNI CDC is not only a place that I work, but a place that I value, have learned a great deal from, and feel that this place is a unique and amazing learning opportunity for all children birth to 5 as well as having a wonderful after school and evening program!! The UNI CDC has a long waiting list and serves many families - including faculty, staff, students, and community children. We need to maintain all 6 classrooms plus the school age program and evening program. The point of our mission is not to lower the numbers we serve but to increase the numbers. We want to grow, not be squashed into 4 rooms like the original layout of the CDC when my children first came here! The UNI CDC has so much potential and serves so many diverse families. It makes it's self known without having to try! Everyone who knows about our center, knows how great it is - all you have to do to know this is to see how long the waiting list is and know that we do not advertise like the other centers in our area! The UNI CDC is the be all, end all in the aspect of quality of care, the quality and education of our teachers and staff, the quality and magnitude that we strive in everything that we do!!

More cooking

Please do not take any part of the UNI CDC away, it will only cause stress, disgruntlement, frustration, anger, loss of jobs for teachers and student staff, loss of diversity, and loss of funding for many, many families!

Did you hear about the CDC?

I learned about the CDC when I was pregnant with our now three year old, Lucy. I kept hearing fantastic stories about the place. How it is not just a day care, it's more a school with an amazing ratio of teacher to students (mostly thanks to practicing early childhood education students), a great atmosphere, and high standards. One of our colleagues who had a child there told us jokingly that the place had one bad side- it is spoiling children. His son told him that teachers in his room scratch his back when he cannot fall asleep, and he demanded the same at home.  :-)

We were warned that there is a long waiting list and that we should file paperwork as early as possible. As new and quite ignorant parents to be, we decided it must be an exaggeration and took our time putting our unborn baby on the waiting list. The idea seemed rather crazy. So, we were very surprised that we did not get accepted when we were planning...  Lucy started CDC when she was 14 months old - We survived thanks to my mom who put her whole life and career in Poland on hold and came for 10 months to be a full-time grandma.

Lucy was born with club feet. She has to wear corrective braces during the night and during nap times.  We were warned in Iowa City at the UIHC Ponseti clinic that many preschools don't want to deal with that kind of extra burden, so we were worried that we would have to look for alternative ways to make sure that Lucy would have her braces on at least 16 hours per day. Worry no more!  Lead teachers in her room had no problem learning how to deal with Lucy's feet, and they trained others.

Once in a while you hear bad stories about preschools in the area, so I want to share with you ones from the CDC. My first bad memory was when my daughter told Danielle, her classroom teacher, that she loves her. I was right there and I thought that my heart will break from jealousy!  Second was when Lucy was disappointed that there is no school during the weekend (how dare they!). Later came the moments when she did not want to be picked up earlier (mom, it's group time now, my friends need me), and using school to negotiate ( but my teacher read to me three stories before the nap time! ). When Lucy's progress with potty training was stalling, Danielle told us to stop putting on her diapers and let her, the teacher, worry about all the mess. Lucy was making great progress in a couple weeks. (Unfortunately, it all reversed the moment Lucy's twin sisters joined our team!)

Because I am not an American, I did not know any English nursery rhymes or children's songs. Lucy on the other hand was bringing home a new song or story every couple days. I was very happy when the CDC adopted classroom blogs as a form of communication with parents. Blogs filled with our kids pictures, short videos, descriptions of the activities, educational resources and also hyperlinks to websites where I and other foreign parents could listen to the songs that our children were learning at school and learn along too. 

The moment we learned I was pregnant again we put our unborn baby on the waiting list!  Poor Candice had an extra challenge when she learned that we will have twins!  After a time of nail biting we were accepted!!!!  Lilian and Vivan have loved the place since day one (another painful moment haha). They are 6 months old now and doing activities that I wouldn't even think to do with infants. For example they were painting with ice cubes while study the polar regions and finger painting black and white artwork (panda bears) while learning about Asian countries!

My husband and I serve 200+ future teachers in the College of Education every semester.  We can do that because we know that our kids are nearby and well taken care of.  I felt such a "mother guilt" when I came back to work after my short maternity leave. But seeing how much my girls are learning and how greatly their brains are stimulated, little bodies nurtured and treated with love, I don't feel as bad anymore. Actually, anytime we are not sending Lucy to school we feel guilty that we are depriving her of a great education.  She is looking forward so much to see Donna and Leann, to answer the question of the day posted on the door to her classroom, to work with Word Wizards (UNI students working with CDC friends to raise their phonological awareness), to the visits by Reading Buddies (first grade friends), to P.E. with Mrs. McCumber, music education with Mrs. Grey, walks to the UNI library for story time with Mrs. Yolanda Hood...  but most of all, she loves to play in the loft with her BFFs Alma and Cathy.

Spring is here! Observe our little munchkins walking around campus, playing near the campanile, walking to visit the dinosaur in Latham Hall (The Earth Science Department), or Mrs. Yolanda in the library. They are UNI CDC kids, and they are purple for life!

Magda Galloway

Mom of Lucy, Lilian and Vivian

UNI Instructor/ CDC Policy Board Member

Do not compromise the quality of the CDC, Please!!

On April 1, 2011, I was notified that 25 positions from the UNI CDC were going to be eliminated. I moved to Iowa in 2007 from Dallas, Texas as a single mother of three. I worked very hard to earn my Associate’s degree online through Hawkeye so I could be a stay at home mother to my daughter Mia. I had heard about the CDC while I was researching my transfer to UNI. I put Mia on the waiting list and she was on the wait list for almost two years. Mia started at the CDC in August of 2010. Since I had been home with her for the first three years of her life this was very difficult for me.

I made my concerns clear from the first meeting in my home with Lisa, Donna, and Leann. Each of them assured me that Mia would be in excellent hands. I could not be more pleased with Mia’s teachers Donna and Leann. Each of them has gone out of their way to talk to me; often times the interaction with them is the bulk of my adult conversation for a day. They have learned about my past, my family, and have even worked on seeing to it that my goals for Mia are met. Her teachers have been a true blessing and I could not be more thankful for them. When Mia is not at school she talks about Donna and Leann as if they are members of her family. She states that she loves them and misses them over the weekend. Mia went from a child who cried and held onto my leg at the very beginning, to a little girl who can’t wait to get to school everyday. On two occasions I have attempted to pick her up early and she asks me to come back for her at the end of the day.

On the second day of school last semester I had a gall bladder attack and was in the ER in Waterloo. Lisa went out of her way to pick Mia up from the hospital to see to it she would not miss school. Lisa has also provided words of encouragement to me on days when school was very overwhelming for me. As I mentioned above I am a single mother of three, full time student at UNI, and an employee of the Special Education Department at UNI, my plate is full and the staff at the CDC have helped to ease some of my burdens.

I was very hesitant to place my child in any type of Head Start program. The only reason I have her in the CDC is because of the quality of the care provided, the diversity, and the fact that the school accepts non Head Start families as well. If Mia were to lose her spot at the CDC it could possibly mean that I would have to take a year off school until she is old enough for Kindergarten. My daughter has had the opportunity to experience many things at the CDC that would not be part of a regular daycare program. I would rather take a year off of school than have the quality of her child care reduced. I fear that with the current proposed changes to CDC the integrity and quality of the CDC will be compromised. Neither Mia nor any other child should have to be uprooted from a place that makes them happy and brings the children so much joy. I am proud when I tell people that my daughter is a student at the CDC, as I know all the other families are as well.

Sincerely,

Amanda Sampica

Mother, UNI Student, Current CDC Parent

Keep the CDC as it is!!

Hello,
My name is Michelle Hekel and I am a graduate student at UNI. I am asking you to try and help the CDC because many people rely on it. I am a single mother. My daughters father does not come around or support her financially. I work two part time jobs and go to school full time. I need full day daycare. Without the CDC I will not be able to stay in school. The only other full day daycare is on the east side of Waterloo and that is not feasible with the schedule I have. Everything is in Cedar Falls.
The CDC has been a blessing. My daughter has learned so much from attending the daycare. We should be proud that our daycare has been nationally accredited, and we should try and do everything in our power to maintain that. It not only looks good for the university but also for the student-staff that work there. I encourage you to please consider the negative impact that the downsizing would have on all of the families involved and also on the university. Please help us. I know there are other students in similar situations as I  am in. We need the university's support.

I really enjoy the UNI campus and the daycare. I would devastated to have to remove my daughter and I. Please help us.

Thank you for your time. I look forward to hearing from you.


Sincerely,
Michelle Hekel
MACC student

We've posted an update for parents and other supporters dated April 7 under the Correspondence tab. Thank you!

Brady's Story

Brady entered the UNI CDC room beginning in the 3-4 room. It was his first time being around many kids and learning all the school had to offer! He was such a shy child who did not want to let him mom go, but with the support and help from the staff, Brady began to adapt. He still, of course, had his days. He grew such an attachment for his teachers along with the rest of the staff. He has such a big heart and though he still loves to, he loved to give hugs! He grew and was off to the 4-5 room. There he continued to grow and was learning the skills he needed to enter kindergarten.

The teachers, staff, everyone at the UNI CDC was very welcoming to Brady along with myself. They were open about telling about Brady's day to letting me know of any problems. The projects that Brady and the other kids created were so creative and they learned so much. I think that it is so great that the teachers and staff took various pictures and made videos and shared that with me and the other parents. I loved to see what Brady was doing within the classroom and to look back and see how much he has grown is such a great memory. The teachers and staff made a spot in Brady's heart and he made a spot in theirs. I have never been so pleased with an education system and with the staff that works for the CDC. I think that this is a VERY valuable program for young children of all ages and their parents.

They not only helped Brady transition, but helped me as well. I think that those who have not been within the UNI CDC don't know how great of a place that it is and to let it go would be such a shame. Wonderful things happen within and I am grateful that Brady got to be a part of it.

Sincerely,
Cassidy Abkes

Fellow Parents,
Thank you for your continued support and your very personal stories!  We added the new sections (observe the tabs at the top of this blog) where we will post important correspondence and updates related to our situation in order to keep you informed without overshadowing your great stories on the blog!

"No Thank You!"

Much has been said and written about recent decisions affecting the UNI Child Development Center. The out of touch decision-makers have had their say and concerned parents (including myself) have been very vocal in support of their children. I wonder what my three-year-old son, Leo, has to say about the situation. Wonder no more…

Molly: What do you like about your school?

Leo: I like about it the toys they have there like my Legos and trains. I like the yellow goldfish there.

Molly: What kind of fun things do you do at school?

Leo: I run around outside with dumptrucks and play pattern blocks, and play Play-Doh at school.

Molly: What things have you learned at school?

Leo: I learned about trains and about train cars and locomotives and some different kinds of trains, and dinosaur trains!!!

Molly: Can you tell me about your teachers and school?

Leo: My teachers are Tera and Aimee, Mackenzie, Katie, Lexi. They do nice things like tell me jokes. I tell jokes to them.

Molly: Do they laugh?

Leo: Yeah they do laugh! We talk to them about some elephants and some cars.

Molly: Tell me about your friends at school.

Leo: Lila and Landon and Emma Charlotte, Acree, Harry. Katelyn and Alissa are hanging out at home now.

Molly: What fun things do you do with your friends?

Leo: I tell jokes to them! They pat me, and they tell about their pictures to me, that’s a nice thing!

Molly: How would you feel if some of your friends couldn’t come to school anymore?

Leo: I could feel sad.

Molly: Why?

Leo: Because they wouldn’t play with me anymore, and they couldn’t tell my pictures and jokes anymore. I like them to tell me that!

Molly: If someone was telling your friends that they couldn’t come to your school anymore, what would you tell them?

Leo: I would tell them a bad thing and swing my arms and drive my trains at them.

Molly: What else would you tell them?

Leo: I would tell them “no thank you.”

There you have it; the indictment of a three-year-old with the very manners he practices at school every day. Take our classrooms away? No thank you, Dr. Countryman. Displace our children? No thank you, Dean Watson! Split up my son and his friends? No thank you, Dr. Gibson! Threaten early childhood education at the university I love? No thank you, President Allen!

These decisions are not about classrooms, money, or regulations; they are about our children. Leo loves his friends, his teachers and his school. Please listen to his polite request! I’d hate for him to have to use his toy trains against anyone…

Sincerely,

Molly and Leo Hackett

Pursuing the American Dream

A little bit over 14 years ago, I traveled over 8000 miles from Hong Kong to the United States to pursue my dreams (i.e. furthering my education). This wasn’t an easy decision not only because I didn’t know much English at the time, but also it was because I had to leave my families and friends behind. I had no friends or families in the United States. I also didn't know anyone at UNI, except my sponsor Dr. Christopher Edginton. In fact, I later discovered that there were actually only 3 students from Hong Kong, including myself, out of 12,000 students at the time. Oh yeah, I was alone, very much so.

I didn't know my wife, Mavis, then. Although Mavis is also from Hong Kong, we actually met here in Cedar Falls, Iowa. I later found out that she also came to Iowa as a high school exchange student the same year I came to the United States and then stayed on to go to college. We came here because our families both believe that American education is considered one of the best in the world.

If you decided to continue to read my post, please accept my apologies for my English. I am not a good writer, in fact, I don’t really like to write or read. I will tell you later that I almost got kicked out of class by Dr. Grammar. Though, I love technology and my iPad. So, please be patient with me.

I did not come from a family of great privilege or wealth. My father passed away in 1996 when I was 21, only six months before I left for UNI, leaving my mother to be the sole support of my family, which includes a developmentally disabled brother.

My late father was born in mainland China. He hardly received any education. My mother was born in Macau. She loved attending school, but she had to drop out of high school because her family didn’t have enough money to support her and her 5 other siblings. They needed her to work to earn her living. However, my parents both understood the importance of education. Like many Chinese parents, they valued education greatly. And I knew they worked very hard and did everything to provide me with the support I needed so that I could afford a better education. They didn’t attend college not because they lacked the will, but only because they lacked the means and opportunities. When I found out that I would have a chance to study at UNI and in the US, I was very excited, very much indeed.

With great sacrifice, my mother and others encouraged me to attend UNI.

With the great support I received from UNI, my fellow UNI students, faculty and staff, I made it through my first college year (although I almost got kicked out of class by professor James HiDuke, aka Dr. Grammar). In 1999, I graduated, summa cum laude, receiving my family very first Bachelor’s degree. UNI also awarded me with a Purple and Old Gold Award for Meritorious Scholarship. I am very proud to be the first one in my family to graduate from college (i.e. a first-generation college graduate in my family).

UNI provided me with an excellent education and platform so that I could excel and achieve my dreams. I knew every day when I got up in the morning I didn’t have to worry about finding a shelter because I could count on the university apartment. I knew I didn’t have to worry about being sick because I could count on the health clinic here on campus. I knew I didn’t have to worry about not having sufficient fund to pay my next bill because I could count on the financial aids and assistantship provided by generous donors who support the missions of the University and those in need.

I decided to stay on to further my studies at UNI. In 2002, I earned my master’s degree from UNI. In the same year I also got hired by UNI and became a full-time professional and scientific staff member of the university. I also started my Ph.D. program at The University of Iowa the same year.

I considered myself a very lucky "young" man. I knew I could not have done all these without the essential support from UNI, my fellow UNI students, faculty and staff. I am proud to call UNI my new home and be part of the UNI family. I am forever indebted to UNI and my family.

Last December, I successfully defended my dissertation and I finally earned my Ph.D. last December. It was a mixed feeling, though. Caring for my disabled brother and the financial hardships had taken a huge toll on my mom’s health. My mom came to my last two graduation ceremonies at UNI, but not this time. She passed away just four months shy of my doctoral graduation. Though, my mom knew that I was going to graduate. I knew that she and my dad are very proud of my achievements, something they had worked so hard for, even though they are no longer with me, I know they are still watching over me.

I thought I am really done when I finished my dissertation. I thought I would never have to defend myself again. Unfortunately, this time, I was called upon to defend the education of my very own son.

My wife, Ying-Yan “Mavis” Njoo, and I were informed late Friday afternoon that our three-year-old son along with 25 other children of UNI faculty and staff members will no longer be able to attend the UNI Child Development Center by the end of June. This leaves us with insufficient time to find alternative child care that is of comparable quality, not to mention the fact that we are proud to be part of Iowa's Early Childhood Program of Excellence
(http://www.uni.edu/coe/news/coe-news/uni-child-development-center-featured-
article-naeyc-accredited-program).

The loss of two rooms has forced the CDC to make a difficult choice of which families they will have to let go, Head Start and UNI student families along with much of head start funding or faculty/staff who pay full tuition dollars. We were told that the classrooms are being consolidated to accommodate needs for Price Laboratory School. We were not given any other options or alternatives, but just two months to look for another child care service.

I am telling you all these only because I wanted someone to know that how much of a sacrifice my family has to make in order to afford me a good education. If I were in Hong Kong or China, I probably was not going to write this post because I knew nothing was going to happen. I probably would not even be surprised if this situation happened in Hong Kong or China because things got taken away from you all the times. Over there, education is a luxury, but not a necessity. However, I really could not imagine that this could happen to my son in the United States. Aren’t we supposed to be the world’s number one? Aren’t we supposed to have the one of very best educational systems in the world?

According to the ZERO TO THREE, a national nonprofit organization that informs, trains and supports professionals, policymakers and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers, “neuroscientists have documented that our earliest days, weeks and months of life are a period of unparalleled growth when trillions of brain cell connections are made. Research and clinical experience also demonstrate that health and development are directly influenced by the quality of care and experiences a child has with his parents and other adults….Early experiences set a course for a lifelong process of discovery about ourselves and the world around us. Simply put, early experiences matter.” I am not an early-childhood education expert, but it is so basic that even caveman knows it.

One of UNI goals is to be the leader in the state and nation in pre K-12 education. I really don’t understand how the University can achieve this goal by cutting the enrollments in its very own Child Development Center.

I feel so fortunate that my parents made the great sacrifice to send me to college. I frequently ask myself these questions: What is my priority in life? What are my goals? What legacy do I want to leave behind? I really didn’t know the answer until Harrison was born in 2007. My son is my legacy and he is the reason why I wanted to write this post. I will do my best to protect my son’s interests and his rights to a quality education. I firmly believe that this is the right thing to do.

I would like to understand the decision behind made by the R&D to ensure that interests and needs of all families involved have been thoughtfully considered in the course of making this decision. It is my sincere hope that such decision, potentially impacting a few dozen UNI students, faculty and staff and their children AND the mission and goals of the University, is to be made in a transparent and thoughtful manner.

Although I am no longer a student or employee at UNI, I really hope that I can still count on the University the same way that UNI can count on me for support.

Thanks for listening. I hope you would support our efforts in protecting the integrity of the CDC and the University.

Jason Lau, Ph.D., UNI '99, '02
Husband of Mavis Njoo and Father of Harrison

Loss of Space for the UNI Child Development Center

We were saddened and shocked when we heard of the recent space loss announcement for the UNI Child Development Center. Our daughter started at the UNI CDC when she was 21 months old, nearly 6 years ago now. We were excited to move her from her previous daycare situation to the Child Development Center. Quality care and education was paramount to my husband and me, and as professors at UNI, we found that the highest quality of care was right down the hill. There was typically a long waiting list, so we had to wait one year before we could enroll our daughter. At that time, the center was located in the 4 rooms in the basement. We were constantly impressed with the learning opportunities the staff provided not only for the children but also to future caregivers with field experience and employment opportunities to students in the early childhood development program.

The center worked hard to achieve the highest level of accreditation with several agencies. They were also successful in obtaining funding for both Early Head Start and Head Start children. This funding required a change in the configuration of age groups so the agreed number of children that qualified for the Head Start funding were in the age appropriate rooms. This new funding for the center led to the expansion to the current 6 rooms which allowed the center to increase the number of children so they could continue to serve the entire UNI community, faculty staff and students as well as new Head Start families.

The center always continues to provide educational experiences for the staff. For example, Candice and Donna worked hard with us to educate themselves and the other staff at the center about food allergies. They made sure to provide safe food and activities for our daughter and train their staff about the medical action plan in case she had an allergic reaction. This education for the CDC staff and student staff has become timely training as the occurrence of food allergies in children is growing and is a critical issue of which our future educators need to be aware.

Our daughter has recognized Price Laboratory School as "her school" since she was 2 years old. Note she said school not daycare. She even at an early age she recognized that she was learning and growing at the Child Development Center and it was not just a place to be dropped off for the day. PLS is still her school since we live in the PLS district and are pleased that the School Age Program, an extension of the Child Development Center, was started to serve PLS elementary families after school, on teacher in-service days and in the summer. We were pleased that the center created this program since, as former CDC parents, we knew that our daughter would have quality after-school care right at Price Lab. We mention the School Age Program only to show how much we care about the Child Development Center and the quality of care they have given to our daughter over the years and continue to provide to their current families of both the UNI and PLS communities.

The loss of two rooms has forced the center to make a difficult choice of which families they will have to let go, Head Start and UNI student families along with much of head start funding or faculty/staff who pay full tuition dollars. The loss of either would mean a financial blow to the program along with displacing many families. We understand that the families of faculty and staff are those that will be displaced. This difficult decision by Candice is again a testament to the commitment the center has to provide quality preschool care to families by choosing the families that could not afford this level of care without the Head Start funding or reduced student fees. However, it is difficult to find this level of care for the families who can afford it. We feel deeply for those UNI families that now have to find a new childcare situation. We are also struck that many recent changes at the University tend to make faculty and staff feel that they are less valued members of the UNI community.

The UNI Child Development Center adds much to the mission of UNI. They are a model program that other child care centers strive to emulate. They allow students with small children to pursue their educational goals by providing a quality program which students can afford. Faculty and staff could enroll their small children in an excellent program close to campus. The CDC provides essential field experience to students who wish to pursue careers in early childhood care by working at a center that has been recognized nationally as a top level program. The reduction of space will reduce the number of students who will benefit from the expertise of the permanent staff. If one of the goals of UNI is to be recognized as a premiere institution for pre-K-12 education in the state and nationally, it seems strange to reduce preschool educational experiences and not see quality preschool education as a larger part of their pre- K-12 mission. It is our hope, as a former parents of the Child Development Center and current parents of the School Age Program, that some resolution could be found to allow the UNI Child Development Center to continue their mission of providing the highest level of care and preschool education for which they have been recognized at their current level for entire UNI community.

Laura Hoistad Strauss, Associate Professor of Chemistry
Tim Strauss, Associate Professor of Geography
Past Parents of UNI Child Development Center
Current Parents of the School Age Program

Speaking for the Children

This past Friday, April 1, 2011, I was informed that my children would not have a space at the UNI Child Development Center beginning July 1, 2011. As you are aware, the classrooms are being consolidated to accommodate needs for Price Laboratory School.

My children, Jack (age 5) and Kate (age 2) both attend the Child Development Center. Kate has attended since she was 14 months old. Kate was born 3 months premature. When Kate started at the CDC, she had severe delays involving language, gross motor skills and fine motor skills. I was pleasantly surprised when her teacher pulled me aside to ask if she could contact Kate’s physical therapist to coordinate efforts and to make sure she was doing everything possible in the classroom to help Kate. Her teachers worked with her daily to reach her goals.

Last week, I had a follow-up meeting with Kate’s teachers and the Cedar Falls AEA. Kate has participated in early intervention services since she started attending the CDC. At this meeting, it was discussed that Kate had advanced her peers in her language and motor skills. This amazed me! I attribute this to the early education program at the University of Northern Iowa Child Development Center. Kate’s pediatrician and therapists in Cedar Rapids asked what we were doing at home to have this remarkable turn-around. While I know my husband and I take some credit, most of the credit goes to her teachers and the curriculum at the CDC.

When my son Jack started the CDC at age 4, he hated school and would cry every day at drop-off at his previous school. Within a week of being at the CDC, he was running the long sidewalk to go to school because “we do fun things there, mom”. For a now 5 year old, the campus is his classroom. Jack attends plays at Gallagher, visits the Greenhouse, plays near the Campanile, took swimming lessons at the WRC, has more Panther spirit than any UNI student I know and often asks when he can be a big boy and go to classes with a backpack like the big kids do on campus. Jack would never have received this type of education at the daycare center he was at in Cedar Rapids. We do not call the CDC a “daycare”. It is school. These children are learning every day and it is a wonderful laboratory for UNI early education majors.

Being a working mom is really challenging. Even more challenging is the guilt I had when I dropped my children off at a “daycare” where I knew my children were not receiving an education. I then discovered the CDC and with a colleague’s encouragement, enrolled my children in a quality program where a top notch curriculum was being taught at the State of Iowa’s Laboratory School. What parent would not be excited about that? Having my children nearby gives me a sense of peace and security. I can have lunch with them at noon and return to the office to finish my day. I am more productive at work because I have no concerns about their safety and wellbeing. I know my kids are in excellent hands.

Taking away the ability for faculty and staff at UNI to send their children to the Child Development Center would be detrimental to many families. While I understand students at UNI should be first, I hope plans can be made to accommodate all families currently at the Child Development Center. While Jack will be off to kindergarten next year, his sister Kate still has two more years before she will attend kindergarten. Her friends and daily schedule at the CDC are all that she knows. My biggest fear is that she will regress in her skills. I don’t think I will be able to find anything comparable.

My position at UNI is administrative and I have to make decisions every day that will not make people happy. Before I make a decision, I try to listen to all sides of the story. I am saying this because I am asking you to listen to the parents and visit the CDC and see for yourself what an outstanding early childhood program is physically on the campus of UNI. We need to do what is right…and what is best for the children -- because in the end, the kids are the ones that will lose out if they are displaced.

Thank you for your consideration.

Sincerely,

Mary Baumann

Luke's Story

I was a single Mom when I attended UNI in 2008-2009. I was really excited when I found out that my son, Luke, then 3 years old could attend the UNI CDC because he was in Head Start and would be able to be with Head Start and non-Head Start kids plus there were some children from other countries and I loved the diversity. It was also very convenient to have him so close to campus.

Luke's teachers were amazing!! Luke was excited to go to school everyday and he was learning so much it was like the curriculum was designed especially for him. He also really enjoyed night daycare and it was very beneficial for me so I could study on campus or take a night class.

The summer of 2009 I had shoulder surgery and I couldn't drive for a month afterward. Candice, the CDC director, and Lisa, the Head Start worker, took turns picking Luke up from the CDC and bringing him home everyday! I don't know what I would've done without them. They went above and beyond what they had to do and they are greatly appreciated!

I really hope that other parents and children get to have the same experiences we did.

Sincerely,

April Murphy
former UNI CDC parent

Tony's Story

Almost 5 years ago I became part of the UNI CDC family. I was assigned as the Family Service Worker for the Head Start Families at the CDC. Tony wasn't even born at this time. I remember the day I told Tera and Jessie in the office that if I was pregnant the baby would be born in June. As I was not employed through UNI at the time having Tony go to UNI was not on the priority list. Tony finally made it to the top of the list when he was around 6 months old. I worked for the Head Start Program for a number of years. The Head Start Progam is governed by thousands of Federal Performance Standards, due to this fact there are few places that Head Start can partner with, UNI CDC is one of the chosen few. During the last few years the Head Start Program and the number of children served at the CDC has grown steadily, especially with the addition of 2 classrooms. With Head Start has come Family Services staff, nurses, nutrition and dental education, and increased opportunities for families to have classroom activities. That does not even mention the generous amount of money that the Head Start Program provides to UNI CDC. While we are all aware that 25 current children are being displaced, including my son Tony, there will also be less positions available for new children. This could lead to a reduction in funds provided by the Head Start Program and an overall reduction of services to all children remaining in the program.

On a more personal note, Tony has not been an easy child. Tony bit and hit and was antisocial through the teeters, totters, and 2-3's. The teachers remained devoted to working with Tony. The staff partnered with AEA 267, assigned a one-on-one staff for Tony and worked through it. Tony is now a happy, loving, and well-adjusted child. In fact, he plans to marry a little girl in his class named Mia. In 2009 I decided to go back to school at UNI for my MSW. Another one of the invaluable things that the CDC does is to allow children to continue their education there after their parents graduate. This is important to give children the consistency of staying in one place where they know and trust everyone. I can't imagine what type of problems we would have had with Tony if we had moved him when I graduated. While I can't imagine sending Tony anywhere else, I am very thankful for the three and a half years that Tony has had. I would love nothing more than to keep Tony at UNI for his final year before Kindergarten. I think of all the difficult little boys that would get kicked out of childcare centers for their behavior, but not at UNI. He is such a sweet, well-adjusted child and I owe that to the staff at UNI! They are the best of the best!

Kellie and Adam Harrenstein