Plans are progressing well for the UM Shore Regional Health Child Development Center’s journey to becoming an independent, nonprofit organization, reports James Bell, a parent at the Center who with his wife, Tara, is one of several parents on the Center’s transitional board.
According to Bell, the Mid-Shore Community Foundation (MSCF) has provided very valuable assistance in fundraising, particularly grant-writing, and in the application for 501 (c) 3 non-profit status. MSCF’s support helped the Center in its successful application for $100,000 grant. “This grant is a wonderful vote of confidence in the Center and the quality of care it provides,” Bell says. “At this early stage in our evolution as an independent nonprofit, a commitment of this magnitude is a strong base of support on which we can build.”
Fundraising efforts also have garnered support from Shore Regional Health doctors, nurses and other employees, and from some former children (now adults) who were enrolled at the Center years ago. UM Shore Regional Health has provided transitional support to the Center since late August in order to ensure and smooth and successful operational transfer. “The good will toward the Center, from both Shore Regional Health and from the wider community, has been both gratifying and encouraging for everyone involved in the transition process,” says Bell.
The official launch date for the new entity, which will be called Mid-Shore Early Learning Center, is February 28, 2014. According to Charlene Copper-Pierce, M.Ed., director of the Center, enrollment is on the upswing after some losses last fall when it appeared that the Center would be closed. The infant-toddler program is now full, and the total number of children enrolled has grown to 38. The most immediate enrollment goal is to add five more children during the month of February.
“We have several likely enrollments lined up for the future – some even from mothers-to-be whose babies are due later this spring and summer,” Copper-Pierce states, adding that making child care decisions several months in advance of the actual need is not uncommon. “Child care enrollment can be unpredictable, and parents who wait until they actually need it sometimes find that their first-choice program doesn’t have any openings,” she says.
Copper-Pierce points to the loyalty and professionalism of her staff to account for the Center’s 23 years of successful operation. All teachers are certified and many have been with the Center for more than 15 years. “Parents and guardians know our teachers aren’t just ‘watching’ the children, they are providing activities that promote learning, emotional and social growth, and school readiness and success,” she says.
Another mark of the Center’s high standards is its commitment to achieve accreditation by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE). “Of course, we are licensed by the State, but MSDE accreditation is a higher bar, and we are looking forward to achieving the recognition that comes with it,” says Copper-Pierce.
Tracy Hindle, a respiratory clinical therapist at UM Shore Medical Center at Easton whose two children attend the Center, points to its many advantages, including “to and from” TCPS bus service for children attending Easton and White Marsh elementary schools, and the extended hours of operation, 6:30 a.m. to as late as 7 p.m.. “Just as important, my children really enjoy their time there,” says Hindle. “Earlier this week, my four year-old son was so excited telling me about how they had gone out into the snow to look for different kinds of animal tracks.”
Located at 133 Vine Street (one block behind UM Shore Medical Center at Easton), the Center will have an open house on Wednesday, February 12, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and also 3 to 5 p.m. Anyone anticipating child care within the next several months is encouraged to attend. “We have space available now, but this time of year, inquiries and applications tend to pick up as summertime approaches, so this is a chance to beat the rush once the weather starts to ease up,” says Copper-Pierce.
For more information or to attend the Open House, contact Charlene Copper-Pierce, 410-822-1000, ext. 5922.
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