THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, January 24, 1997 TAG: 9701230134
SECTION: VIRGINIA BEACH BEACON PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JO-ANN CLEGG, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: 82 lines
Last year, more than a decade after what seemed to be the virtual disappearance of the stay-at-home mom, two Virginia Beach women made an interesting discovery.
Janine Bailey and Jennifer Fields found that there were a lot of parents looking for an organization dedicated to the needs of tots who didn't go to day care.
It was something the two had suspected but didn't confirm until word of their organization - the Tidewater Early Childhood PTA - began circulating through the area.
``We had 11 people at our first meeting on Jan. 26, 1996,'' said Bailey, now the group's president. ``We now have 85 dues-paying families.'' The pace of the group's growth stunned even its organizers.
The day of the group's first meeting, there was a story in the newspaper about it. Bailey said, ``By the time I got home, I had nearly 100 messages from people who were interested.''
The group was off and running, leaving its organizers with little time to catch their breath, let alone look back.
The idea for the group came about when Bailey and Fields met in 1995, shortly after each had given birth to her first child. Both had been career women before they became mothers, both had decided to put their careers on hold once the children arrived.
They had found in their early weeks of motherhood that there weren't many programs offering the kind of activities and social support new families need. So they decided to do something about it.
While living in Florida, Bailey had become aware that there was such a thing as PTAs for parents whose children were not yet in regular school or preschool settings. The pair contacted the national PTA, enlisted the help of local PTA leaders, found a meeting location, distributed fliers and waited to see what would happen.
Even they were surprised at the immediate response. ``We think it may be because this is such a transient area,'' Bailey explained. ``When people know they're not going to be somewhere for more than a couple of years, they don't wait to get involved.''
Those who do join consider the $25 a year family dues a bargain. With an informative newsletter, a full schedule of field trips, speakers, luncheons (some are for moms only, some for moms and tots), moms' nights out, support groups, and family meetings and outings, the group offers plenty of diversion for those who join.
Navy wife Barbara Protacio was one who quickly became involved after moving to the area from Monterey, Calif. Last week, she and her mother, Gloria Quinones, were among the adults who went on the group's field trip to Fire Station 9 in Kempsville.
Protacio had found out about the group when she picked up a flier at the music school her children attend. The fact that it's associated with the PTA gives it a little more validity, Protacio said.
Protacio's 4-year-daughter, Rachel, was one of nearly two dozen preschoolers who stood with eyes fixed firmly on Firefighter Mark Sturgis, dressed in full turn-out gear and looking and sounding like a large yellow spaceman.
As younger children snoozed in backpacks and snugglies, older ones watched Sturgis warily before moving in for a closer look. A few minutes later, each got his or her turn to sit in the extended cab of a fire engine.
The outing was organized by group member Julie Riegle, a former kindergarten teacher who coordinates the group's field trips. ``These guys love trucks,'' she said. ``We thought it would be great for them to see them up close.''
It was also, she could have added, a great chance for the mothers to get out of the house on a cold morning and enjoy one of those snatches of adult conversation. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHARLIE MEADS
Mark Sturgis shows off firefighting gear during a visit of the
Tidewater Early Childhood PTA at Station 9.
Graphic
AT A GLANCE
For information on the Tidewater Early Childhood PTA, call
479-2670. The next general meeting will be from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Feb. 14 at Kempsville Presbyterian Church. Nursery service is
provided, but reservations are required.