A group of parents and other supporters of the Shore Health Child Development Center have begun the process of creating a new, 501 (C) (3) nonprofit organization that will assume responsibility for the management and operations of the center. For now, the Center is continuing to operate under the auspices of Shore Regional Health until late February, 2014, when it is slated to become independent. August 30, 2013 was to have been the Center’s final day of operation, but thanks to the energetic and organized leadership of concerned parents, it remains open while progress is made toward its establishment as an independent, nonprofit entity.
In late June, due to the revenue challenges facing health care facilities in Maryland and the nation, Shore Regional Health announced plans to close the Child Development Center, which has been in operation since 1990. It had been a difficult and reluctant decision, made after a close review of Shore Regional Health’s core mission and services as a health care provider. The resources formerly designated to support the staffing and operations of the Child Development Center are being redirected to patient care, physician services and health care operations of Shore Regional Health.
Prime movers in this initiative are James Bell, whose wife Tara works for the University of Maryland Medical Center, and Austin C. Tagbo, M.D., a hospitalist at Shore Regional Health. Other Shore Regional Health staff involved are Tracy Hindle, Respiratory Clinical Therapist; Terri Fisher, Respiratory therapist; Julie Philip, Staff Nurse, Multi-Specialty Clinics; and Michelle Swartz, Clinical Coordinator in the Emergency Department.
According to Charlene Copper-Pierce, M.Ed., manager of the Child Development Center, a key focus at present is rebuilding enrollment, which stands at about 50 percent of capacity. Applications for full- and part-time enrollment in the Child Development Center are being accepted, and there is space available in the various age groupings, from 18 months to 11 years old. The Center’s hours are from 6:30 am to as late as 7 pm, and for school-age children, the Center is a stop on the “to and from” school bus itineraries of Easton Elementary, White Marsh Elementary and Easton Middle School.
Copper-Pierce, who has been with the Center for 16 years, observes that the extended hours are a significant draw. “For a lot of parents, especially those whose working hours can be long and on occasion, unpredictable, our hours of operation are a real blessing,” she says. “Over the years, many of our children have had parents and grandparents who are Shore Regional Health employees.”
“Now that there is a plan to remain open for the long-term, some parents who had made other arrangements for their children already have returned to the Center,” notes Bell. “The excellence of the curricula and the dedication of the staff are big factors in the enthusiastic response we have received to our plan for keeping the Center open as an independent, nonprofit entity. My wife and I are grateful to have our child enrolled in a Center that is known for its focus on true early learning as opposed to just daycare.”
Another draw is the Center’s affordability relative to comparable child care programs in the area. For Shore Regional Health employees, a discount at the present time makes the range approximately $75 to $200 per week, depending on the age of the child, during the school year. (There is a separate rate structure for summer enrollment). Purchase of Care is accepted.
Located on Vine Street, just one block west of the hospital, the Center is tucked away in a quiet neighborhood and offers two spacious play areas (one with a large sun-shade and soft-surface) as well as individual curricula and classrooms designed for each age group. “Hospital staff like the fact that we are so close by and they can come by the Center during a break or for a holiday celebration,” notes Pierce.
For more information about Child Development Center, contact Charlene Copper-Pierce, 410-822-1000, ext. 5922, or [email protected].
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