Infant development center assists teens, low income moms

The W.K. Johnson Infant Development Center was awarded a $4,500
grant last month by The Community Foundation Sonoma County
Healdsburg Area that will go toward the $20,000 goal for this
years’ operating costs.
The WKJ center is one of 13 child development centers operated
by the Community Child Care Council of Sonoma County (4Cs) and
funded by the California State Department of Education to provide
childcare to young mothers that are finishing high school and to
low-income families in Healdsburg.
“We are faced with whether or not we are able to keep this
center open since we are not able to operate with the money from
the state only,” said Community Relations Director of 4Cs Mira
Wonderwheel, who wrote the grant for the center.
Of the 13 centers offering childcare, WKJ is the only
infant/toddler program whose priority for enrollment is teen
parents. The center is also the only one in its group to offer
infant care.
“We earn the funding based on the number of children attending
the program but with infant/toddler centers we have a higher
teacher-to-child ratio than preschool age centers,” explained
Wonderwheel.
Paired with requirements for more teachers, the center also has
expenses that total over 40 percent of what the state reimburses
them for the program. With operating costs being higher at WKJ than
the other facilities, it increases their risk for closure.
“Because we believe quality care for infants and toddlers is so
important, 4Cs has been offsetting the loss with agency reserves,
but this year the agency had to cut across our overall budget,”
Wonderwheel said about now having to turn to the community for
support.
Wonderwheel has recently begun meeting with service groups
around Healdsburg to discuss the importance of the center and how
community members and organizations can help keep the facility
open.
“It’s supporting teen parents to go and get an education and it
also provides the foundation for low-income at risk toddlers to
achieve success,” said Wonderwheel.
The 4Cs program provides play-based-education for children by
creating an environment and activities that promote cognitive and
physical development. Daily activities include writing, science,
books, puzzles, blocks, art and music. Areas throughout the center
are set up for dramatic play, physical movement and sensory
activities.
The center is also used for high school students to earn credit
in child development courses by working in the facility. The
students learn about infant care and toddler development through
the play-based structure.
“It is an extremely difficult time. Childcare is expensive and
infant care is even more expensive because it requires more
teachers,” said Dana Dunne, the site supervisor at WKJ.
Dunne and several other teachers have been working at WKJ since
it opened 16 years ago and have never had to worry about funding
for the program in the past.
“This year with the financial crunch and childcare being in
question by the state, it has become a real issue as to where
future funding will come from,” said Dunne.
With the help of the 4Cs, the center is looking to raise another
$15,000 in donations to continue to serve the 15 infants and
toddlers currently enrolled for 2011.
Donations can be made to 4 C’s of Sonoma County online at
www.sonoma4cs.org or by
calling 544-3077.
Staff writer Robin Hug can be reached at ro***@hb*****.com.