The Children’s Learning Center at Howard Community College, which mainly serves children of students as well as faculty and staff members, was expanded with an infusion of funding from the county.
“As 51 percent of the children at the Children’s Learning Center have parents studying at Howard Community College, we are able to meet students’ immediate needs for reliable and stimulating child care,” said HCC President Kathleen Hetherington.
County Executive Ken Ulman said funding for the center was crucial, despite tough economic times, because the project exemplified his administration’s priorities: Education and a family-friendly workplace.
“The Learning Center offers many HCC students and faculty peace of mind; while they are hard at work, their children are close by in a loving and nurturing environment,” he said.
The center received $792,000 in bond funds from the county in its 2008 budget, while the college funded $100,000 for the project.
The expansion involved finishing the construction of a 4,400-square-foot wing to add three infant rooms, two infant sleeping rooms, a 3- and 4-year-old combination room, a multipurpose intelligent classroom, observation booths for all rooms, a food prep area and storage rooms, said Kim Pins, the center’s director.
The child care center serves children 10 weeks to 5 years old in pre-kindergarden with a focus on a developmentally appropriate curriculum. The program currently serves about 75 children and can serve up to 82.
“We’re an educational preschool program but also a lab school, where college kids can come and help teach lessons,” Pins said.
Students studying early childhood education, psychology or related fields at the college can observe the children, she said.
The majority of the preschool students are children of HCC students, another 14 percent are children of staff and faculty members and 35 percent are children of community members, said Nancy Gainer, college spokeswoman.
The center currently has two 2-year-old rooms, one 3-year-old room, one 4-year-old preschool room, two indoor play areas, a reception area, two offices, a conference room, a main kitchen area and laundry/storage area.
A playroom for the children is equipped with hurricane-proof glass.
“In the event of a strong storm, the children now have a safe place to go,” Pins said.
The community college funded the entire original construction of the $1.4 million center, Gainer said.
