The Atchison Baby Care Affiliation was based by Frances Strieby in 1968, who’s the mom of the present Government Director of the middle.
Sowers remembers that in third grade her mom recruited her to be the primary volunteer. For that designation, she received to play with the kids and assist clear the constructing.
Evidently early introduction to baby care was to perpetually stay along with her as a result of she went on to get a level in Early Childhood Schooling. She then turned a trainer’s aide and labored her method as much as changing into Government Director when her mom retired in 2002.
“At present the kid care heart is positioned within the outdated Franklin college on Kansas Avenue.” Sowers mentioned, “The very first heart was positioned within the monk’s residence that was positioned in the course of the freeway going in the direction of Leavenworth.”
The house was torn down in 1969, and the Presbyterian Church allowed the middle to make use of its basement and the neighborhood heart basement.
“The elders informed Frances that we may keep till we discovered a everlasting residence. We discovered one, 30 years later once we moved into the previous Franklin College,” Sowers mentioned.
Her brother Jay Strieby purchased the Franklin College for $101.
The constructing wanted some enhancements earlier than the transfer over Thanksgiving in 1997. Employees packed up all the pieces and moved the middle to its new residence, and opened on the Monday after Thanksgiving.
“We labored so arduous to get moved, but it surely occurred, and the crew had Thanksgiving dinner collectively,” Sowers mentioned.
At current, there are 179 kids on the rolls, and 42 of the kids are second-generation youngsters.
“I really feel like a prideful grandma, these youngsters are going to prepared the ground sometime,” Sowers mentioned. “Three household college members got here right here as kids and now work right here.”
“A part of the training basis is early socialization, manners, and a love of the outside,” Sowers mentioned. “Our youngsters are outside youngsters, no TV.”
The Atchison Baby Care Affiliation is a 501C3 which suggests it’s not a sponsored program. Kids two weeks outdated to age twelve are eligible. This system is a recipient of United Manner funding for scholarships for preschool and childcare.
As a way to attend the kid care heart, the kids should be updated on all of their vaccinations. Amberwell docs Norma Inexperienced and Bonnie Thackett present first support, CPR, drugs shelling out, and any emergency medical therapy ought to it develop into mandatory.
“Sometime early childhood education can be mandated for ages three by way of 5 and all kids can be given the identical probability by way of the tutorial system,” Sowers mentioned.
Sowers had nothing however complimentary issues to say about her employees, particularly lead staffer Terri Hardin.
“My employees is simply the perfect. Terri joined us in 1987, and she or he is the best reward ever,” Sowers mentioned with a big smile on her face. “We regularly say, your pockets could also be empty, however your coronary heart will at all times be full.”