2013 ANNUAL REPORT READY. SET. GO. Downtown Hampton CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER 2 Downtown Hampton CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS 2012-2013 PRESIDENT Haywood Holder Here We GO Retired, Sentara Healthcare VICE PRESIDENT The Hon. Linda Curtis, Esq. Retired, Commonwealth’s Attorney Our Mission SECRETARY Amy Jordan City of Hampton Economic Development To nurture young children by providing affordable, TREASURER quality preschool programs that develop the Cheryl Elkins “whole child” and foster school readiness Vice President, TowneBank Tiffany Andrews-Franklin Youth Advocate William C. Andrews, IV Read Commercial Properties Erin Black From The President Old Point National Bank Polly Chong, Esq. Dear Friends, Attorney Walter Credle Year after year, we GO further for these deserving little ones—and it’s Retired, Hampton Dept of Social Services all because of you. Another crop of 5-year-olds are truly READY to start Lawrence G. Cumming, Esq. kindergarten. Even our organization itself is SET for success through Kaufman & Canoles Jennifer Dick your continued financial and volunteer support. Virginia Health Services First and foremost, I’d like to officially welcome Gail A. Gammon as our James Gray new Executive Director. Gail not only served DHCDC for 11 years as Assistant City Manager Robert R. Harper Jr. our Administrative Director, but she also has led the organization as Bob Harper Photography Acting Executive Director for the last 10 months after Jaynelle Oehler’s Gaylene Kanoyton retirement. Gail helped us persevere through this interim period and Gaylene, LLC swifty overcame any bumps in the road, working alongside DHCDC’s Henry “Hank” Lewis dedicated staff and Board of Directors to make the transition smooth. Zel Technologies Henry Mills The year held other new frontiers as well, including: Old Point National Bank Anthony D. Reyes • The formalization of our Parent Association, Hampton Public Works which hit the ground running with new energy Ruth Simmons The Virginia Store • The broadening of our Family Services Program, Mary Wallace including an at-home reading club Community Volunteer Stan Winarski • The achievement of accreditation by the Community Volunteer National Association for the Education of Members At Large Young Children at our Mary Peake location, Jenn Devlin the culmination of two years of paperwork, Junior League of Hampton Roads assessments, observations and... waiting Ted Henifin Hampton Roads Sanitation District • The enhancement of security measures The Hon. Mamie Locke for our program and facility State Senator/Hampton University Deborah Russell It has been an honor and a privilege to serve this organization as Board Hampton Healthy Families Partnership The Hon. Chris Stuart President. I continue to be inspired by you, our supporters. These Top Guard Security/Hampton City Council children need us—all of us—so they can one day GO out into the world Ann Tormey as conscientious, self-sustaining citizens. Community Volunteer F. Lewis Wood Hampton Chevrolet Mazda Emeritus The Rev. John Knibb, Jr. Pastor Haywood Holder Parent Representative President, Board of Directors Tiana Jackson Booz Allen Hamilton Executive Director Gail A. Gammon Keep up with the children’s latest news at www.dhcdc.org 3 What You SET in Motion 11 accomplishments this year thanks to your support Provided affordable, quality care and education 1. for more than 200 deserving children Sent 106 children into kindergarten 2. with the skills to succeed Achieved NAEYC accreditation 3. for our new consolidated location at the Mary Peake Center (see box) Screened 160 Hampton 4. children (DIAL) to identify who qualified for the Virginia Preschool Initiative—twice the number we screened last year Offered 29 family-involvement events, 5. including parenting workshops and volunteer opportunities Connected 40 DHCDC families 6. to community resources they needed, including food, shelter and holiday gifts 4 Downtown Hampton CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER What You SET in Motion Expanded the children’s 7.world through field trips to 17 educational destinations Enhanced our security 8.measures—from making classroom doors lockable from the inside to putting special vests on the children during field trips Gave our teachers 9. over 650 hours of training and additional education Identified potential medical 10. or development issues in 45 children and referred them for professional early intervention Initiated a new DHCDC Parent Association, which headed up tasks including food drives and teacher appreciation week, and 11. helped families become more involved in their child’s education. Why does it matter? This status places us in the top 7% of preschools in the United States. Accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children is considered the gold standard of quality. Our program must meet rigorous standards with our facility, staff, curriculum and more. DHCDC was the first program on the Peninsula to become NAEYC accredited, and we have now continued that tradition of quality at our Mary Peake location with impressive scores. Keep up with the children’s latest news at www.dhcdc.org 5 READY for the Road Ahead How DHCDC is changing children’s lives, now and for the future Like all infants at DHCDC, Ellie gets plenty of one-on-one attention and stimulation throughout the day. She especially adores lead teacher Crystal Middleton. Ella plays in the housekeeping center. Ellie’s Story many weren’t able to accommodate her reminded me that each child is unique As told by her mom special needs. Then we visited DHCDC, and learns at their own pace. where the incredible staff welcomed Her teachers, led by Ms. Middleton, Families send their children to the have already had a profound impact on Downtown Hampton Child Development While I worried she wouldn’t Ellie’s social and physical development. Center for many reasons—whether it’s walk until well after her peers They help her with the extra exercise because they make quality childcare she needs to meet her physical therapy affordable, or because they’re one of or that she may need extra attention as she learned to goals and make sure she’s working the few schools in the area to be NAEYC toward her milestones. But, most accredited. master solid foods, the teachers importantly, at DHCDC Ellie is just one of My family chose DHCDC because and staff didn’t blink an eye. the “Poohbears”—playing and learning they offer the Peninsula’s only full-day, with her friends! year-round inclusion program giving her with open arms. While I worried she Even though we chose DHCDC for special-needs children under age 5 the wouldn’t walk until well after her peers its inclusion program, we’ve become opportunity to flourish among peers. or that she may need extra attention enthusiastic supporters because of the My 8-month-old daughter, Ellie, has as she learned to master solid foods, dedicated teachers and staff who help Down syndrome. When my husband the teachers and staff didn’t blink an every child learn and grow to the best and I were looking at schools, we found eye. They didn’t dismiss my worry, but of their individual abilities. 6 Downtown Hampton CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTER GRATEFUL FAMILIES READY for the Road Ahead Miriam and Claro’s Story As told by their mom We are a military family on one income. We weren’t accepted for free preschool and are unable to afford other high-quality preschools—if DHCDC did not exist, Claro and Miriam would not be in preschool at all. My children would instead have stayed home with me, but they wouldn’t have been prepared for kindergarten because I have great difficulty in teaching the building blocks of numbers, letters and other important lessons taught in preschool. What first brought DHCDC to our attention was that it was NAEYC accredited. But also, it’s the care and dedication of the teachers and staff that make DHCDC a better choice than other child care centers/preschools. I was abused as a child, and that has made it difficult at times to give my “My child started off the year children a normal childhood, as I myself didn’t have one. I am so thankful for shy, very quiet and now she has DHCDC for not only giving my children excellent care, but by doing so, showing me how to help my children succeed. blossomed into a smart little girl who now interacts well with the other students and staff.” Cash’s Story As told by his mom “If DHCDC did not exist, my We have a large family, so money is tight. If it weren’t for DHCDC, my son daughter would either have to would be in a program that is not as professionally trained or maybe at home, be shuttled around to different not getting the steps he needs to prepare him for kindergarten, and missing out relatives, creating an unstable on the social interaction and learning skills. situation, or would have to be at a I love how the size of our family is taken into consideration for tuition. The sliding scale has let me not go broke, or have to worry about if I’m going to be center we do not trust as much.” able to pay or not. The patience of the staff at DHCDC has helped my son learn self-control with “We are a proud Navy Family, and expressing and calming his emotions, especially with the Al’s Pals curriculum with this comes many months of and the “Calm-Down Corner!” There’s a real feeling of confidence when you leave your child in a safe, friendly environment. separation. The staff at DHCDC were always aware of Daddy’s departures. The extra support provided during and after school are invaluable.” “I love that my child feels important here and that her teacher communicates to me and shows concern.” “The sliding scale allows me to pay my bills.