ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 3, 1995 TAG: 9512040071
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RADFORD
SOURCE: TRACY GALLIMORE STAFF WRITER
Thirty-nine years ago, Yates Dean went into the security business. She created a warm, safe home-away-from-home for children.
She started a child care center on Downey Street in Radford in 1956 under the name Kiddie Korner Kollege.
"Children need a secure environment. They need solid ground beneath them, so they can reach for the sky above," said Dean, who had been a teacher and elementary school principal in Dinwiddie County before moving to Radford in 1938 with her husband, Dr. Howard L. Dean.
Today, 160 children ages 2 through 10 attend the expanded Radford Child Care Center on 13th Street.
In 1972, Dean hired Peggy Hammond as a teacher and later promoted her to program director. At Dean's retirement in August of 1991, Hammond became the center's administrator.
Dean and Hammond's business relationship of nearly two decades was successful for a number of reasons. "We had a shared vision for what the center should provide," said Hammond.
"Our goal was for a parent to know that a child has security here ... to feel that this is the next best place to home. We want parents to go to work knowing that their child is cared for and loved."
In the center, children learn everything from fingerpainting to forming friendships.
Most of the children, 110 of the 160 enrolled, are 4 or younger. At present, there is a waiting list for parents with school-aged children. Children come from Radford, Montgomery County and Pulaski County. The center, limited in size by its building, does not plan further expansion at this time. "We want to keep our service as personal and family-style as possible," says Hammond.
Radford Child Care Center is a nonprofit organization governed by a board of directors. The administrator position is salaried. On average, teachers are paid $5 an hour. All profits go toward running the facility.
The center's 13 full-time and 11 part-time employees are selected with care. For teachers, a good deal of practical experience or a formal education in early childhood development is required. The ideal candidate has both. The center welcomes student teachers from Radford University in fall and winter semesters.
Celia Cole of Radford, the lead teacher of the 3-year-old classroom, has worked at the center for six years. When asked what has kept her at the center, she answers, "That's easy ... the children. I love my job."
Walking down the halls, you can't help but notice the variety of activities going on. A child's day includes free play and time for social interaction as well as structured learning activities. Lesson plans are done for each classroom. In one room, children dance to the beat of a drum in celebration of the first Thanksgiving feast. In another, a painted window is an aquarium in which brilliant sea creatures and underwater plants float in the rays of the morning sun.
The center's learning environment prepares pre-schoolers for kindergarten. Smiling, Hammond said, "We make a habit of checking the paper's honor roll list for the names of our children. We see a lot of them there."
Hammond stops the interview for a moment to speak with a parent who is concerned about the latest virus going around. Hammond explains what she's seen at the center and recommends a call to the family doctor if the child begins to run a fever.
Judy Carlson-Catalano, an associate professor of Radford University's School of Nursing, has two daughters, 3 and 6, and a son, 7, who have been enrolled at the center since the summer of 1994.
"Our experience has been a very positive one. I've found a caring atmosphere that provides opportunities for learning through play. The staff is always nurturing. It is clear that my children are happy there. A little community exists; my son knows my daughters' friends, my daughter knows the younger children. She frequently points out her friend's younger brothers and sisters. I find that to be very reassuring. Children learn communication skills, develop a sense of community and get a good start socially at the center."
Radford Child Care Center is open from 6:15 a.m. to 5:45 p.m. The weekly tuition cost is $55 for pre-school children and $35 for school-aged children. Call 639-5227 for more information.
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: GENE DALTON/Staff. Peggy Hammond chats with some of theby CNBchildren who attend
Radford Child Care Center. color.