Return to Main Menu
|
Pilot child care offered beginning
Jan. 8
by Cindy
Abole
Public
Relations
MUSC’s pilot initiative to offer near-campus child care for MUSC
employees and students is here. MUSC has teamed with the Church of the
Holy Communion and TodayCare Children’s Centers Inc. to provide
experienced child care at MUSC beginning in 2007.
The MUSC Child Development Preschool, located at the Church of the Holy
Communion (218 Ashley Ave.), provides a new service for parents with
children, offering specialized, full-time child care and development
within an accredited preschool program. Beginning Jan. 8, the program
will open to children, ages 3 to 5, weekdays from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30
p.m. Enrollment will open to MUSC/MUHA faculty, staff, students
and UMA employees. To ensure its long-term success, the program will
begin as a pilot program for approximately 25 preschool age children
and expand accordingly. Weekly tuition fees will be $140 per child.
Teachers Jodi
Reason, right, and Melissa Brown organize one of several classrooms or
learning centers that will be used by 25 preschool children as part of
the partnership between the church and TodayCare Children's Centers Inc.
To help parents and guardians realize the preschool program first hand,
the program will sponsor an open house from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.,
weekdays, Dec. 4 to 15. Interested participants can meet teachers, talk
to staff and review the facilities. During this period parents or
guardians can apply to be considered for enrollment online. Attendance
at the open house is not required for a child to be considered. Watch
for future articles in “The Catalyst” and broadcast e-mail for
information on how to register.
The program’s enrollment period is slated from Dec. 18 to 22.
Applicants who have applied for consideration will be assigned through
an independent lottery system. Enrollment acceptance will be offered in
sequential order established by the lottery. After the initial
enrollment is established, applicants not contacted will comprise the
official waiting list. Subsequent applications will be added to the
waiting list in the order they are received. After the pilot group is
accepted, parents or guardians will be provided enrollment packets to
complete prior to the Jan. 8 start date. This will allow time for the
processing of enrollment forms and give parents the opportunity to
provide notice to their current child care providers.
The goal of TodayCare and MUSC’s preschool partnership is to provide
parents and guardians with an option for child care services that’s
safe, secure, convenient and effective as an accredited learning
environment focused on excellence. All of TodayCare Children’s Centers
are accredited by the National Association for Education of Young
Children (NAEYC), meeting more than 160 criteria and regarded as the
gold standard by parents, educators and child care facilities.
Teachers test out
the swings and outside play areas of the new MUSC Child Development
Preschool located at the Church of Holy Communion. The facility,
created initially as a pilot program for children ages 3 to 5, is
slated to open Jan. 8.
MUSC’s preschool will be managed by Kim Hovren, center director, and
assisted by four credentialed teachers specializing in child
development. The facility prides itself in exceeding the
student-teacher ratio required by South Carolina by providing one
teacher per 8 students, according to Hovren.
“This is an exciting time,” said Hovren, also a mother who was inspired
to join the TodayCare Children’s Center staff as a personal commitment
to provide excellent child care services for working parents. “I’ve
been enlightened by how much work has been put into this and the
involvement of so many people to accomplish this effort. I’m also proud
to be part of a program that offers a service that’s helpful to working
parents. We want to assure parents that they will be bringing their
child to a safe and loving learning environment.”
“We have had interest from all over the university to establish a
childcare program. Dr. [Ray] Greenberg [MUSC president] has made this a
priority, and we are piloting this new program,” said John Sanders,
Children’s Hospital administrator and chairman of the MUSC Child Care
Oversight Committee. “We are very pleased to be working with TodayCare.
They have a proven record with organizations like ours and provide an
excellent program for children. Although this program is limited, it is
a step forward in evaluating different options that we can provide for
our faculty and staff.”
Working with the Rev. Dow Sanderson and the Church of the Holy
Communion since 2002, MUSC secured space to provide proposed child care
services within their education annex. The program provides four to
five large classrooms for children, a kitchen facility, restrooms, an
auditorium for daily activities and playground facilities. Later phases
will incorporate additional classroom facilities for infants and
toddlers, according to Judy Simpson, vice president of operations and
development for TodayCare Children’s Center in Nashville, Tenn.
The program will provide an academic preschool curriculum based on
developmentally-appropriate standards within a learning environment.
Children will learn numbers, the ABCs, shapes, etc. within a play-type
setting. Classrooms are organized as learning centers where children
will know discipline by using choices, guidance and talk. Children will
be assessed based on their progress so teachers can plan activities to
help them as they grow and develop skills necessary for kindergarten,
Simpson said.
“We’re delighted to be here and offer our specialized services with
this program,” said Simpson. “We’re ready to go.”
MUSC
Child Development Preschool Mission Statement
Faithful to MUSC’s service tradition, MUSC Child Development Preschool
is committed to providing a safe and secure environment that is marked
by excellence. We recognize the unique educational and developmental
needs of our children. We are devoted to delivering a quality program
that is rich in open communication, fosters lasting relationships and
provides educational stimulations.
Friday, Nov. 24, 2006
Catalyst Online is published weekly,
updated
as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public
Relations
for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of
South
Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at
792-4107
or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to
Catalyst
Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to
catalyst@musc.edu. To place an ad in The Catalyst hardcopy, call Island
Publications at 849-1778, ext. 201.
|