Cheryl Demuth, Program Founder and Co-Teacher
My first experience in group care was at 4 years old. I went to nursery school three half-days per week to socialize and get ready for Kindergarten. To say I loved it is an understatement. It was the first time I got to be with my peers outside my home. Not only was I with other young people, I wasn’t being cared for by my parents. The expectations were different, the relationships were new, and the environment was made just for me.
I don’t remember my teachers/caregivers. Some of the friends I made went to elementary school with me, but most of the children I also don’t remember. What I do remember is the way the sunlight streamed into the classroom; I remember standing at the easel and painting bold colors across a giant piece of white paper; I remember playing with my friend on a rug as my mother walked into the classroom to pick me up early because I had chicken pox… and I remember how disappointed I felt to leave early even though I was really sick. I remember I felt safe, accepted, seen, and understood at nursery school. I did not feel that way in my home, nor did I feel that way in elementary school or junior/senior high school. But for 10 months, 3 days per week, 3 hours per day when I was 4 years old I was allowed to relax and be who I really was with people who were just like me.
I have degrees in art, psychology, and early childhood administration and policy. And while education is important in the early childhood field, it’s not why I decided to make this my career and open two early childhood programs. I personally understand the value of quality early childhood care, and I want to give other young children the space and time to be themselves in a setting that encourages and supports their own development with the respect and thoughtfulness they deserve.