A day care center that's been part of the Auburn landscape for 37 years will close its doors Aug. 19, leaving no registered day care centers in DeKalb County.
A depressed economy and the retirement of its director, Lillian Ritchie, has caused the Auburn Presbyterian Church to close its day care center and preschool.
"The members of the church are quite sad to let it go," said pastor Nancy Becker, "but most people understand the economic problems."
Becker added that the school and day care center most likely would have stayed open as long as Ritchie agreed to stay, but with her retirement, "it was the appropriate time to make that decision."
Ritchie said that it's "depressing" that the day care and preschool are closing, but she's ready to move on.
"I'm ready to retire," she said. "That's not an issue, but I just feci sad that it's closing, because we were the first child care in Auburn and we've always been licensed."
The Presbyterian Church's preschool opened in 1966 and the day care followed in 1971. Ritchie, a public school teacher who had taken time off to raise her children, began working at the school as a teacher in 1971. She was hired as the director in 1977.
According to Pam Leffers, director of programs for the Early Childhood Alliance, licensed child care centers often struggle with economic issues. According to a study just released by the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies,the price of child care is rising faster than the average rate of inflation. According to the report, the average annual price for fulltime care for an infant in an Indiana day care center was $9,005, a 6.1 percent increase from 2006's annual price of $8,485. The annual cost for full-time care for a fouryear-old child in a day care center in Indiana averages $7,001, up 9.9 percent from the annual price of $6,373 in 2006.
Leffers said that many families search out other options rather than pay for full-time child care when the economy is down. Some parents will work opposite shifts so that someone is home with the children, or family members or friends will babysit.
"When the economy gets tight, child care may be one of those things that people make compromises on," she said.
With the closing of the Presbyterian Church's day care on Aug. 19 and the recent shuttering of the Auburn location of The Teaching Tree day care center. Auburn has lost all of its licensed child care facilities, according to Leffers.
To be licensed, day care centers must maintain "extensive" standards, she said. They are routinely inspected to be sure they are maintaining standards of health, safety, education, nutrition, cleanliness and fire safety. Staffchild ratios must be maintained, and curriculum must concentrate on child development and school readiness.
There are still four "registered ministries" operating day care centers in DeKalb County, and they are not required to be licensed, Leffers said. Registered ministries are child care facilities operated through churches or other religious organizations. They still are monitored by the state, however, and may choose to receive SEE COUNTY, PAGE All additional voluntary health and safety certifications. The four registered ministries in DeKalb County are the Garrett branch of the DeKalb County YMCA, the North Street branch of the DeKalb County YMCA, Lakewood Park Ministries and First Beginnings in Waterloo.
First Beginnings in Waterloo has received all four voluntary certifications that registered ministries can choose to achieve, Leffers said. Both YMCA branches are working toward voluntary certifications and hope to achieve them by the end of the year. Lakewood Park ministries has also achieved all four voluntary certifications, according to director Eileen Howard.
Howard, who has been the director of a state-licensed facility, said that the day care at Lakewood Park also follows all state regulations. She added that she believes that many registered ministries such as Lakewood Park do a better job than licensed day care centers because registered ministries have more options for the center and more time to concentrate on the children and the day care center rather than the state regulations.
36 licensed homes in November 2001. Requirements have tightened, Leffers explained, and operating a licensed child care home is also an expensive undertaking. Owners must receive a Childhood Development Associate credential (CDA) within three years, maintain an adult-child ratio of 10-16 children per adult, depending on the age of the children, and keep basic health and safety records.
An unlicensed child care provider is allowed to care for up to five children who are unrelated to the operator. An unlicensed person who exceeds the limit is operating an illegal day care center.
Licensed center, registered ministries that have achieved the four voluntary certifications and family child care homes can all participate in Paths to QUALITY, a voluntary statewide program offered through the Early Childhood Alliance. Child care facilities that participate in the program can earn four different levels of quality care that tell parents what level of care and training the center provides.
First Beginnings is currently on the Paths to QUALITY program. Both YMCA branches were grandfathered in to the program when it went statewide last year, but must achieve the four voluntary certifications to continue the program.
At level one, the health and safety needs of the children are met, and all participants meet health and safety standards for the state of Indiana. At level two, the centers are an environment that supports children's learning. Level two providers have evidence of consistent daily schedules and planned activities, and have opportunities for growth and development for children. At level three, child care facilities have planned curriculum designed to guide child development and school readiness. Level three providers have invested in professional development for their staff, and all participants must demonstrate knowledge and skill to plan appropriate activities and opportunities to lead to school readiness. Level four providers have achieved national accreditation, the highest indication of quality.