Wichita State is one of few Wichita employers who offer on-site, full-service, infant through preschool child care.

WSU staff members Sandra Ranney and Kim Moore, WSU student Amanda McHenry, and local attorney Sue Gebhart entrust the care of their children to WSU’s Child Development Center.

Proximity is a benefit to WSU employees who use the center, located at the corner of 21st and Hillside. Community customers are welcome, too.

Moore, a new mother, spends her lunch hour with her 6-month-old daughter.

When Ranney’s son got his finger pinched in a door, she was able to run over to hug and comfort him.

“He knows his mom is close,” she said, adding that she was able to nurse him much longer than she would have had her day-care not been onsite.

Other clients have said the close location makes it more convenient to go on field trips or attend special programs presented by or for the children.

Gebhart is the mother of two boys, a CDC graduate and a preschooler. Both boys attended CDC as newborns. Gebhart’s oldest son began reading at age 4, which his mom attributes in part to the CDC curriculum. They were read to, Gebhart said, and they practiced letters, sounds and word recognition.

“We offer creative and structured activities that includes developmental concepts in a playing environment,” said Bonnie Stoddard, CDC director. “The activity itself encourages and invites a child to participate at their own level.”

One activity you might see is children playing with cornmeal, beans, Jell-O or shaving cream at the “messy table.” Preschool children also learn about following directions, measuring, kitchen safety and cleanup while making their own nutritious snacks or fun desserts.

“We have a good reputation,” said Stoddard, “but I think the knowledge of who we are, where we are and what we do needs to be more widespread.”

She gave a recent example of a new faculty member who was looking for child care but didn’t find out about the CDC until being on the job for several weeks.

All CDC expenses including salaries are paid from child care fees. For Stoddard, there’s always the challenge of maintaining enrollment. Because about half the CDC clients are WSU students with varying schedules, that can be especially challenging.

McHenry’s daughter, who just turned 1, began with the CDC at age 5 months.

“I looked at both home care and child care centers extensively, and WSU’s center was the nicest day-care I looked at by far,” said McHenry, the WSU student. “I like the one-on-one care that infants receive.” Now that her daughter has moved to the toddler room, McHenry likes the child-to-teacher ratio and separate outside play area for little ones. She also appreciates that they incorporate lots of music into the curriculum.

Although Gebhart and her husband figured that WSU’s day-care is about 20 percent higher than other local day-care centers, “it’s been well worth the cost,” Gebhart said. “We could have saved about $150 per month when both of our boys attended there, but I can’t tell you want that $150 has bought for us.”

When their sons, now ages 6 and 4, were infants, the new parents got daily reports from CDC staff that included daily habits and developments.

“We were first-time parents when our oldest son began child care there, and we actually learned quite a lot about child development from the CDC staff,” Gebhart said.

Most of the CDC teaching staff have college degrees, and three staff members are certified elementary and early childhood teachers who have been in the early childhood field for more than 20 years.

Gebhart said she appreciates the CDC’s developmental curriculum and that they utilize professionals to test that the children are on track.

Several WSU programs utilize the CDC in an academic capacity including engineering students gathering data for ergonomic studies and sociology students doing a gender role study. About 20 institutions including Collegiate preschool teachers and KU Medical Center pediatric residents, use the CDC for observation and tours.

WSU’s School of Nursing helps with testing for developmental problems, and this past year identified three children needing specialized help. WSU’s Speech, Language and Hearing Clinic tests CDC children for hearing problems. Also, the CDC utilizes WSU’s department of curriculum and

instruction’s early childhood faculty for staying current in the field.

Stoddard and her staff are considering additional ways to meet parents needs. Parents are wanting drop-in care, said Stoddard.

“What we have started doing is offering limited drop-in care to children of former clients and to siblings of current students for situations such as area schools’ in-service days. We have to be very careful, because we need to have health records on file, and also consistency in the classroom.”

With that in mind CDC staff is discussing whether to create a classroom specifically for drop-in kids. And as a trial during the summer, the CDC is planning to have a room for older children, ages 6-12, who are CDC graduates or siblings of current students.

For information about WSU’s CDC, call ext. 3109.

Editor’s note: At Your Service is an occasional feature of Inside WSU, highlighting services available at the university.

Teacher’s assistant Christy
DeJarnett and Virangilca Wimalasena,
3, intensely watch a demonstration
about shapes.

Children in Sandra Longnecker’s
class play at the “messy table.”