UW-Whitewater Children’s Center offers local child care alternative
Released: October 17, 2003
With the number of dual-income families on the rise, the demand for child care providers has increased tremendously. More families are looking for high-quality early childhood programs that will prepare their children for academic and social success.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Children’s Center’s innovative child care program is a unique option available to Whitewater families.
The center’s philosophy is based on the idea that the best care comes from a loving, nurturing home. Staff members try to duplicate the feelings that come from a comforting and safe environment through activities that resemble the ones that children do at home.
“By involving the children in activities that they are already familiar with, we are helping them feel successful,” said Cigdem Unal, Children’s Center director. “Just as parents do at home, we also encourage the children to become independent by working out problems, taking chances, trying new things and becoming involved. We also try to help the children trust themselves and their abilities while they meet the challenges of being a part of a group each day.”
The current teacher-to-child ratio at the Children’s Center is one teacher for every three children between the ages of 2 and 3 1/2, and one teacher for every five children between the ages of 4 and 6. This low teacher-to-child ratio provides children with comfort and one-on-one attention and interaction.
“There is almost always an adult to listen to a child, play with a child or read a story to a child,” said Unal.
The Children’s Center curriculum is based on child development, with the basic premise that children learn best by doing. Both the Big Hearts (4-6 year olds) and Little Hands (2-3 1/2 year olds) classrooms use “interest centers” that engage children in hands-on activities developed around themes. Examples of interest centers include the creative dramatics center, creative art center, math and science center, writing center, reading center, construction center and computer center.
“We do not teach pre-academics or academics in a way that is familiar to most people,” said Unal. “Instead, we hope to plant the seeds of wonder and love of learning and reading so that when children are ready to learn academic skills, they will have the desire. We hope to nurture young, inquisitive minds that question, rather than teach rote memorization skills to children too youngto understand the meaning of such an activity.”
The Children’s Center’s unique philosophy and curriculum, along with its on-campus location, add unique benefits for the children, Unal said.
“Since we are on campus, we have the benefit of working with many of the College of Education programs designed to give college students experience working with young children,” said Alecia Noble, one of two full-time lead teachers and lead teacher of the Big Hearts room. “As a result, our children have the chance to take swimming lessons, music and movement classes, dramatic arts classes, dance classes, large and small motor movement classes and gymnastics. And the best part about these programs is that they are free to parents as a result of the center’s affiliation with the university.”
The Children’s Center currently serves 27 student families, 18 faculty/staff families and 13 Whitewater community families. Parents have the option of enrolling their children in a morning, afternoon or full day program. Hourly childcare is also available, space permitting.
“Our flexible scheduling is probably our biggest asset,” said Unal. “We are more than willing to work around parents’ busy schedules.”
Whitewater residents Peter and Kristine Zaballos have sent both of their children to the Children’s Center, with their youngest son, Christian, currently enrolled in the Big Hearts classroom.
“Our experience with the Children’s Center has been extremely positive,” said Peter Zaballos. “The staff’s ability to provide consistent, quality education is really remarkable. The children receive a lot of personal attention and learn how to interact with all kinds of different people, which is so important to their success later on in life.”
Becky Shoemake, lead teacher of the Little Hands room, agrees.
“In the Little Hands room, we spend a lot of time getting to know one another and learning social skills,” she said. “All of the children refer to one another as their friends and are always encouraged to use their words, not their hands, with their friends.”
“Having children from many different spectrums only enhances the diversity in our classroom,” said Noble. “It allows the children to develop friendships with other children that they may not have had reason to meet otherwise. We have found that these friendships continue even after they leave the Children’s Center, which has helped with their transition to the kindergarten program in the Whitewater Unified School District.”
Located in the Roseman building at UW-Whitewater, the Children’s Center has been operating since 1973. Offering full-time and part-time childcare, it is licensed to care for 40 children between the ages of 2 and 11. Besides a full-time director and two full-time lead teachers, approximately 40 university students primarily from the College of Education help out as part-time teacher assistants.
The Children’s Center is licensed by the state of Wisconsin’s Department of Health and Human Services and is accredited by the National Academy for the Education of Young Children. The Children’s Center has been accredited since 1989 and earned reaccreditation for the fifth time this past spring.
- Melissa DiMotto,dimottom@uww.edu
