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Christian Child Care began in
1989 as a vision shared by several Christian organizations in town.
Christian Village, Christian Homes, Lincoln Christian Church,
Jefferson Street Christian Church and Lincoln Christian College saw
a need for a quality, Christ-centered child-care facility, and so
they got together to launch a fledgling center. The mission
statement for Christian Child Care states that the facility "exists
to serve families in the greater Logan County area by providing
Christ-centered childcare, programs, and services in a nurturing,
educationally oriented environment."
The center started by using
rented space in the basement of Lincoln Christian Church. They had
access to several classrooms, a storage room, a small office, and
use of the kitchen and playground facilities. Because the playground
was so small, teachers often would walk their classes across McLean
Street to Latham Park to play. Then, as now, the center served
children from 6 weeks to 12 years of age and provided
age-appropriate activities and lesson plans for all ages.
Thanks to a cooperative effort
with the Odd Fellows, the dream of a building of their own came true
a couple months ago. The former Odd Fellows Children's Home and
day-care center at 721 Wyatt Ave. has been through a major
remodeling and is now once again being used for the care and
education of Lincoln's children. The rooms are bigger and brighter.
Teachers have been able to create learning centers to encourage
children to play and learn.
All of the classrooms from age
3 on up have computers, as well as books, educational toys and lots
of bright colors to engage a child's imagination. The floors in the
different classrooms are brightly colored tiles, and each floor is a
different color. As the children grow older, they know what color
their room is and what color they will be going to next. In the
former facility, the classrooms were carpeted, and teachers had
plastic tarps under the tables for ease in cleanup. They also had to
use the same tables for eating, seatwork, crafts and story time. The
new rooms have extra centers for different activities, which makes
teaching easier and less stressful. The customized areas facilitate
flow from one activity to the next.
Some classrooms also have
special rooms set apart for sleeping and eating, away from the play
area. The toddler room has a special "bathroom" area where the potty
chairs that previously were open to view are now separate, to allow
privacy.
The infants'classrooms have a
ratio of one teacher to four children and have separate sleeping
areas, as well as educational toys and activities to stimulate the
tiny minds. .
The school-age classroom in the
basement is large and includes lockers for storage, tables for
homework and a special bathtub filled with pillows for reading time,
as well as centers for computer use, art, puppetry and other
activities. When the children are not in school, daylong activities
are planned for them.
The new center also has two
large playgrounds filled with age- and size-appropriate equipment,
to provide safe play opportunities for younger children as well as
school-aged.
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Even the office, kitchen,
employee lounge and storage areas are bigger and better.
All of the teachers seem very
excited about the new building, as well they should be.
Although it is an older
building, it has been beautifully decorated throughout to capture
the heart and imagination of children. The hallway carpets are an
eye-catching black with multicolor swirl design, which corresponds
well with the different colors in the classrooms and is very
kid-friendly.
The walls come alive with
murals from the Bible, including a scene of Jonah and the whale,
which takes up two walls in one hallway, and a 20-foot Noah's ark in
another hallway. Perhaps the most fitting mural is right inside the
front door, where a scene of Jesus playing with children greets
people as they enter. Indeed, the teachers and staff are bringing
Jesus to these children in a very real but very fun way.
Christian Child Care hosted an
open house reception to coincide with a special ribbon-cutting
ceremony at the new building on Sunday afternoon. Most of the staff
and board members of CCC were on hand for the event, as were many
members of the Odd Fellows organization.
Many organizations and
individuals in the community were recognized for their dedication
and work in bringing the center up to the standards required by law
at this time. Among these were the Independent Order of Odd Fellows;
Mike Appel of Appel Construction; Bill Gossett, who installed the
flooring; Barb Kirkpatrick, for her murals; Lincoln Heating and
Cooling; Albert Service, for electrical work; and Simplex-Grinnell,
for the alarm system.
Jane Priest, who was director
of CCC in 1993 and since moved out of state, came back for the event
and encouraged staff and board members to keep up the good work
because, as she put it, "Children aren't children very long. They
grow up way too fast," and we need to do all we can for them while
they are little.
Former board president Marianna
Taylor commented on the humble beginnings and how far the facility
has come. She also read a letter from the first board president,
Curt Nordheilm, who congratulated the center on the new facilities
and praised God for allowing the growth to occur.
Bobbi Abbott from the
Lincoln/Logan County Chamber of Commerce brought the huge scissors
to cut the ribbon. She thanked the directors and board members for
providing high-quality child care for the community, stating that it
helps the growth and economy of the area, because child care is a
very important aspect to consider when moving to an area or deciding
to bring jobs to an area.
There was also a raffle at the
event, with prizes donated by Super Buffet, GKC Cinemas, First Wok,
Family Video, Abe's Carmelcorn, Subway, Joe's Pizzaria and Bonanza,
as well as other area merchants and individuals.
The
list of people who donated time and money during the remodeling and
move was extensive and demonstrated the community spirit that makes
Lincoln such a great place to live. Because there are too many to
name, suffice it to say that you know who you are, and you are
appreciated.
[Ruth Halpin] |
