October 10, 2001
Discovery Center creates program for early child care
Center offers year-round infant/toddler schedule
By LISA PERKINS
Herald staff writer
The Discovery Children's Center, located within the TBA-ISD Career-Tech Center, may look a little different this fall. Along with the painting easels and building blocks will be cribs and changing tables.
A newly created infant/toddler area, scheduled to be complete by November, allows the center to accept children between the ages of six-weeks and two-and-a-half years in addition to the three to five-year-olds in the preschool center.
"The phone has been ringing off the wall for infants and toddlers," said center director Sherry Pollock. "There is a real need for more quality care in our community."
Pollock explained that the center decided to make the changes required to add an infant/toddler area to meet the needs of the local area. In addition, the center has expanded their program from a school-year based calendar to a year-round program.
"Our goal is to meet the needs of our clients, as far as scheduling goes," Pollock said.
Pollock, who has been with the center for 24 years, will be adding staff, including students in NMC's Early Childhood Education program, to care for the younger children. The center is licensed to accept 16 infant/toddlers and 30 pre-schoolers and has openings in both areas.
"We thought this was also an important change for the Early Childhood students, learning that not all children are three, four and five," said Pollock adding "it comes as a big surprise to work with infants and toddlers."
Enrollment in the program is open to children of TBA staff, NMC staff and students and the general public.
For information on the program or enrolling, call 922-6295.