HISTORY OF THE CHILDREN'S CENTER

Founded in 1973, the Children's Center is the oldest full-time campus child care facility in Westchester County. In 1972, when psychology professor, Sybil Barten, posted a notice of a meeting for anyone interested in campus child care, eight people came to the meeting. One of the eight was a young nursery school teacher, Patricia Loveday, who announced that if a center was established, she would be its first director. None of the present buildings (except for the dormitory) had been constructed, and so there was little excess space. However, the Administration agreed to allow the Center to occupy an empty suite in the new dormitory.

Eight children were enrolled the first year. Pat Loveday's salary consisted of the profits remaining from tuition paid by the parents of the eight "founding children". The Center was initially furnished with cast off equipment and supplies from the Union Child Day Care Center of Greenburgh, which had recently moved to new quarters. Pat Loveday obtained donations from local lumberyards, art supplies stores, parents, and the College. In 1974, the Center moved to larger quarters in the dormitory, where it remained until 1978, when student tripling in the dormitory forced another move to the basement of Campus Center North.

The chronic problems of the first ten years were the lack of an adequate and permanent location and the absence of a firm financial foundation. But from the start the Center was marked by a warm cooperative feeling among Purchase students, parents and teachers. The dedication of SUNY Purchase students, who formed the volunteer and paid staff has been vital to the success of the center.

During the first few years, the Director/Head Teacher taught all the children in a single group. As enrollment increased, it was necessary to hire a second teacher, and in Fall 1979, Anna Made Candrea joined the staff as the teacher of the younger groups. By that time, there were a total of about 25 families. Some of the principles that still guide the Center can be traced back to the first director: the goal of a non-sexist educational environment; the importance of a child's positive self-image; the notion that the staff should always talk to children at eye level; the idea that children should be encouraged to put their thoughts and feelings into words, and that whenever possible instructions to the children should be phrased in positive terms rather than as prohibitions.

The Center's survival through these "shoestring"' years depended a great deal upon the persistence and resourcefulness of the first director. When she resigned in Spring 1980, another fine director, Ellen Wolfe, quickly won the hearts of students, staff, and parents. In Fall 1982, Kathy Pappalardo was hired to teach the older group. After only a short tenure, Ellen Wolfe became ill and died in July 1983.

In Fall 1983, Linda Lattimer was hired as Director, and her firm, energetic leadership enlarged the size of the Center, enhanced opportunities for staff development, and increased the visibility of the Center in the county. Under the guidance of the president of the advisory board, Suzanne Kessler, and the treasurer, Richard Nassisi, the Center at last achieved a measure of financial stability and obtained beautiful, permanent quarters. In October 1987, with the help of a $250,000 building grant from Albany, written by faculty Board members, Mary Edwards, Joel Tenenbaum and Sybil Barten, the Center relocated to a new 5000 sq. ft. facility in the Butler Building. This move from a windowless basement to an airy and spacious new building allowed the addition of a fourth classroom, staff offices, a conference area, an indoor gym, and a newly equipped playground. The Center also acquired facilities for viewing and videotaping unobtrusively, and an expanded resource library for use by parents and teachers.

On June 6, 1990, tragedy again struck the Children's Center when Linda succumbed to cancer. She was a dedicated advocate of quality early childhood education on campus, as well as on the County and State levels. She was passionately committed to the professionalization child care workers. In Fall 1990, Mirella Timms became Assistant Director and the new Director, Patricia Amanna, was hired.

Pat Amanna is a warm, caring and loving person with more than 26 years experience as an early childhood educator and administrator. Prior to joining the staff at the Children's Center, she had been Director of Five Star Day Care Center in the Bronx for six years. During her first year at the Children's Center, Pat completed her Ed.D. Child & Youth Studies from Nova University. She is an adjunct assistant professor at Purchase College and Lehman College and served as the Program Manager of the Certificate in Child Care Program and the Early Childhood Administration Training Program at Purchase College. Her philosophy of early childhood education is precisely that on which the Children's Center was founded. Her individuality and professionalism has greatly enhanced the program at the Children's Center and has earned her the respect and recognition of the SUNY community.

It is the goal of the Children's Center to be a model to the community, to early education specialists and to parents. In 1992, the Center achieved accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), as a model child care center. The staff strives for innovation and sets high standards for the field through leadership. Everyone attends to the broad picture of early childhood education as it relates to other disciplines, such as public health, parent education, child nutrition, teacher training and mainstreaming.

From its modest beginnings in 1973, the Children's Center today is the model campus child care center In Westchester County. The excellence of the Center was recognized by a grant from NYNEX Foundation making the Center a training site for child care workers in Westchester County. Under the auspices of the Purchase College/ Westchester Schools Partnership, the Center is also the sponsor of an annual summer institute and follow-up workshops for early childhood educators.

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