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Articles
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| 26-year-old Hill daycare searches for new facility |
VOICE writes, "By Hannah Rexroth
The Jenkins Hill Child Development Center is scrambling to find a new home before its lease in the Capitol Hill Presbyterian Church comes to a premature end next August.
The agreement between the church and the nonprofit infant daycare, which has operated in the church since 1981, includes a clause allowing the lease to be terminated by either party with 90 days notice. The lease was scheduled to end in 2009.
The church’s pastor, Andrew Walton, said the church is reevaluating the use of its space and is planning to take a new direction.
“I see this as a positive thing for everyone involved,” he said. “I think this could be a great opportunity for Jenkins Hill. They’ve been doing a great work here, but on a very small scale. There is no room for them to expand.” "
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Although there are several daycares on the Hill, Jenkins Hill focuses on infants. “It’s what we do best,” said daycare director Susan Nowak. “Infants are our specialty.”
The center only has space for 14 children, but it has a waiting list of nearly 120 infants. Nowak said the daycare’s size is one of its advantages.
“Most people that want a daycare want their children to be in a group environment so they can have friends, but still get personal, one-on-one involvement from staff. We provide both,” she said.
As one of the two Hill development centers specializing in infant care, Jenkins Hill fills an important need within the community, said Joe Weedon, president of the center.
“There’s an unmet need for infant daycare on the Hill,” said Weedon, who is also the father of an alumna of the center, as well as a current student. “Losing this facility would be a huge blow to the community.”
The center needs to find new space before August in order to stay open. Because the center cares for infants, its facility must meet regulations, including being in a ground level space.
“We are aggressively looking for any space on the Hill,” Weedon said.
Carlson Klapthor, a Hill resident, was a student at an earlier daycare in the church in the 1960s. Now Klapthor’s son, 17-month-old Christian Klapthor, attends Jenkins Hill. “The staff is so committed,” he said. “Christian has always felt loved and secure there, which is really important.”
Jenkins Hill is governed by a board of directors composed of Nowak and five parent volunteers. Although the majority of the children’s parents either live or work on the Hill, a small number come from outside the neighborhood.
Walton said he supports the center and is helping it search for a new facility.
“I’m always looking for a new space for them, and I really hope that the move is a positive opportunity for them to grow,” he said. “They’ve been here for the past 26 years, and there seems to have been a parting of interests in the last several years, which is no one’s fault. Things go in cycles.”
Board members say they will look until they find something suitable.
“We are asking the community for their assistance,” Weedon said. “Our top priority is to continue to provide a small, nurturing and caring environment to our students.”
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Posted on Nov 19, 2007 13:59pm.
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