EXCERPT FROM: The Decorah Newspapers
By Lissa Greiner
Whether or not the Northeast Iowa Community College Child Development Center stays open is not just an NICC issue, it's a community issue.
That's why NICC Calmar Campus Provost Dr. Liang Wee is grateful area parents are getting involved.
"We need their voice," said Wee, of the families who currently send their children to the Center, which is located on the NICC campus, but available to anyone in the area.
Wee said, unfortunately, in light of recent budget cuts, the future of the Child Development Center is one of the areas the College is having to examine.
"On average, the college has been subsidizing the center with approximately $175,000 per year. It's a resource the College has always supported because we see it as an excellent service. However, in light of the cuts, we know we need to be better stewards and examine how we can continue to support this," he said.
Parent meetings
Wee emphasized NICC has not made the decision to close the Center, and held two meetings in recent weeks to brainstorm possible solutions with parents.
"Those meetings have resulted in lots of good ideas. We're looking at staffing and how we can run our Center more efficiently. Parents are asking us to do a survey to see how much parents might be willing to pay. They see it as a quality thing," he said.
"But we know there may be a difference between what parents are willing to pay and what they are able to pay. We want to work with realistic numbers."
Underutilized
Wee said one thing he thinks would help is getting word out the Center is available to anyone who is interested in using it.
"Right now, we have the capacity for 90 children, and we're only running at about 50 or 60," he said.
"I think sometimes because of the Center's location, there is a misconception that it's only for NICC staff and students ... We need to do a better job of making sure we are known in the community, and that people know it's open to everyone."
Parent feedback
Jamie Desloover of Jackson Junction takes his three-year-old son, Taylor, to NICC five days a week.
"This is our fourth daycare since he was born," said Desloover, whose wife, Jill, works at Turkey Valley Schools.
"Our first in-home provider quit for a better job, our second, a daycare facility, went out of business, and the third we knew was just temporary," he said.
"My wife and I have another child coming in June and the possibility of the NICC Center closing is a real concern. It's hard to find daycare."
A learning center
Desloover also said he thinks people need to understand what an excellent facility NICC offers.
"I have nothing against in-home daycares, but a facility like this is excellent. It is unreal how much my son learns there," he said.
In addition, Desloover said his son enjoys having access to so many kids at his own level of learning.
"Each morning he runs from my vehicle to go see his friends ... It's just a great place to take your child and feel secure. You even need a password to get in the door," he said.
Open to everyone
Lori Kuboushek, who lives in Conover, but travels south to Calmar each morning before heading to work in Decorah, said her two children, ages two and five, love attending the NICC Center.
"I guess the main message we need to get across is that it is open to everyone. I'm worried it's in danger of closing and I'm very disappointed a town the size of Calmar isn't able to sustain a daycare," she said.
"I'd also like to stress that it's a learning center and when your children go to a center like this, they learn so much."
Kuboushek added on the upside, she feels the Center's Director, Ruth Cox, and the rest of the staff, "seem committed to keeping the place open."
"We need the community's support on this. The people who use this Center absolutely love it. I don't like to think about the possibility of it closing when there may be people who didn't know they had such a wonderful option and missed that opportunity," said Cox.
What's next?