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UD’s new Early Learning Center accepting applications

Karen Rucker, director of UD’s new Early Learning Center
1:50 p.m., Jan. 29, 2004--The University of Delaware’s Early Learning Center, which will provide high-quality care and education to children from age 6 weeks to 12 years, now is accepting registrations for its anticipated opening in June.

The new center will be housed in the former Girls Inc. building on Wyoming Road in Newark, which has undergone extensive renovations since the University purchased it in 2002. The center will accommodate a total of 237 children in full-day child care, kindergarten, before- and after-school and summer camp programs and will be open weekdays from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

In addition to providing model care to a diverse population of children, specifically those with such risk factors as poverty, foster care and disabilities, the new center will offer support services to their families. It also will provide important clinical educational experience to UD students in such areas as early childhood education, individual and family services and nursing, and it will be a resource where child-care, family services and education providers in the larger community can obtain technical assistance and professional development. The facility will be a University research center as well, focusing on prevention, intervention and education.

“What makes the Early Learning Center really unique and exciting is the marriage of not only quality child care and excellent family services but also education and research,” Karen Rucker, the center’s director, said. “The children we enroll will have the benefit of individual attention from the professional staff and from the students who will be gaining hands-on experience at the center, and they’ll have so many rich opportunities because of all the resources the University has to offer.”

Children and families using the center will be from the surrounding community as well as families of University staff, faculty and students. Families that register now will be placed on a wait list, with actual enrollment taking place in the spring. Because demand for the center’s services is expected to be strong, Rucker said interested families should register as soon as possible.

Children will be enrolled from the wait list according to the center’s established priorities, which include children living in poverty whose families receive state-subsidized child care through the Purchase of Care program (up to 40 percent of the total enrollment); children with a diagnosed disability (up to 20 percent of the enrollment); children living in foster care (up to 10 percent); and children from the University community (at least 20 percent of the initial enrollment). Child-to-staff ratios and class sizes will be small to ensure quality care, Rucker said.

“The construction at our building has created a state-of-the-art facility,” she said. “Our goal is to create not only a model building, but also a model program to best serve the needs of children and families.” She noted that quality care and education is the “foundation service” but that, at the same time, the center will be providing hands-on experience to University students who are prospective teachers, nurses, physical therapists and other professionals who work with children and their families.

In addition, many research activities will be conducted at the center, investigating issues in child development and education. Researchers often will observe the children’s development over time and study such things as their interactions with toys, activities and other youngsters.

“We have been contacted by so many departments on campus that want to get involved with the center,” Rucker said. “It’s wonderful to hear so much enthusiasm about it.”

The center is part of the Center for Disabilities Studies in the College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy. An earlier research report by the disabilities studies center determined that children at risk benefited from early intervention. That study of Delaware children found that those living in poverty who received high-quality early education were twice as likely to pass the state’s third-grade academic standards test and five times less likely to be retained in a grade during their first four years of school.

To register, e-mail the center at [ud-elc@udel.edu] to have a registration packet sent to you electronically, or call 831-6205 to have a packet sent by mail.

Article by Ann Manser
Photo by Kathy Atkinson

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