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Kayla
Kirby plays with a schoolmate at the Isabel
Patterson Child Development Center (CDC).
The CDC provides daycare for the children
of CSULB students, staff, alumni and members
of the community. Tracey Roman/ Daily Forty-Niner
CDC
provides childcare for student parents
By
Angela Mejia
Daily Forty-Niner
Contributing Writer
The
Isabel Patterson Child Development Center
helps student parents pursue their educational
goals by providing affordable childcare
that promotes the development and growth
of children.
The
CDC began in 1975 when Isabel Patterson,
a Cal State Long Beach alumna, generously
donated money for the program. The CDC is
comprised of three separate programs: The
infant and toddler program, for babies 6
months to 2 years of age, the preschool
program, for children 2 1/2 years to 5-years-old
and the school-age program, for children
5 to 7 years of age.
Children
are placed appropriately into age-designated
programs.
The
staff is comprised of several administrators.
The director, two assistant directors, three
lead teachers and seven program teachers
all manage the center. There are also approximately
60 qualified CSULB students who make up
the part-time staff. The student staff members
attend two training sessions annually and
are supervised by full-time teachers.
Although
the center is available to CSULB staff and
faculty, alumni, and the community, the
CDC caters to student's needs by giving
them priority enrollment, flexible hours
and reduced rates. Parents must complete
applications. If there is no space in the
program, children are placed on a waiting
list. The average wait for the infant and
toddler program is six months to two years.
The preschool's wait is three to six months.
A
woman may apply for space on the waiting
list even she is pregnant.
The
office is open Monday 8am to 5pm Monday,
and 8 to 12 noon on Friday. The CDC's days
of operation follows the academic school
calendar, which is convenient for student
parents.
The
Infant and Toddler program offer block scheduling;
the morning session runs from 8am to 12noon
and the afternoon session runs from 12:30pm
to 5pm. An extended session is also provided
from 7:30am to 8am for those student parents
enrolled in early classes. The block scheduling
allows children time to build relationship
and become comfortable with their environment.
The
Student Parent Subsidized Childcare Program
helps student parents with costs. SPSCP
offers two grants, (one state and one federal),
is based on a graduated scale and allows
parents to receive partial to full tuition
for their children.
Grants
are available to low-income student parents.
T
The
infant and toddler program fees for student
parents run $16 for a.m. and p.m. sessions,
and $32 for full day childcare. The alumni
and community residents costs are $18 for
a.m. or p.m. sessions, and $35 for a full
day of daycare.
Student
parents with children enrolled in the preschool
program will pay $2.90 per hour, or a weekly
rate of $116, while the alumni and the community
are charged $4.75 per hour, or a weekly
rate of $180. Student parent rates for school-age
children are charged $10.50 for a.m. or
p.m. sessions, and alumni and community
rates run $15 for the same sessions.
All
programs are non-structured. There is no
set time activities take place. The teachers
support the children's development by following
the child's lead in supervised environments.
"We
are here to meet the needs of the children,"
said Stephanie Rios, Assistant Director
of the infant and toddler program. ""This
way the children are able to make choices
in the activities."
The
only set scheduling is nutrition time, which
consists of three breaks throughout the
day.
The
CDC plans to upgrade the renovation in the
children's bathrooms in the preschool within
the coming year.
"Here,
I can rest easy," Jessica McGuire,
a community parent said. "I feel completely
confident and secure leaving my son."
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