By Carol Walker
Christmas 2015 is over and our family is gone, exiting one group at a time over the past few days and leaving the house unusually quiet. So much so that when I sit in a chair, I can actually hear the hum of the humidifier, something I have not been able to do for a couple weeks.
The grandchildren who came are all 6 years old and under and they awakened early each morning ready to take on the day. We could hear the cries of babies with simple needs met only by their mothers and see the eager anticipation of toddlers, ready to tear apart and examine everything in their paths. We witnessed the world of pretend of the 3 and 4 year olds, as well as the reading and writing of the school age children.
It reminded me of something Nicole Weiss, director of the Custer YMCA Community Daycare said. She commented for a recent article in the Prevailer that people who work with preschool children should be making as much money as the college professor, because children learn more in the first 5 years of life than they do throughout a lifetime. It is an awesome task for parents to hone in on the incredible potential for learning during the preschool years. In addition, these precious children have basic needs for love, security, acceptance and significance—much like the adults in their world.
Seeing our grandchild interact, I was reminded again that raising children is not an easy task, it is 24-7, often requiring split-second decisions on how to handle a given situation that will drive a lesson home for the child. For those children who are in daycare, that task is handed over to the daycare employee, a pretty important person in the life of a child.
It has become apparent with the closing of the Community Lutheran Daycare that there is a need in Hill City for a person or persons to take the lead in developing a plan for caring for the very young and vulnerable children in this town. It is a noble task, a mission of significance.
If a community daycare is in someone’s mind, there are hurdles—such as determining a way to assess the real need in Hill City, establishing funding partnerships with community groups, the city and churches, finding a proper facility that would meet state requirements and hiring qualified staff. These hurdles are tough but not insurmountable. A group of people working together could determine if this venture is feasible.
Several have said they don’t believe there is enough of a need in a town the size of Hill City to support a community daycare and make it work financially. But, perhaps there are a few people like Sarah Johnson who are willing to open their hearts and homes to young children, coming alongside parents who have a need for daycare. Maybe there is a mom who wants to stay home with her children and could provide a loving, accepting, secure place for a couple more children—encouraging those young hearts toward significance in this world.
There is a whole lot of promise wrapped up in the lives of young children, but it is the adults of the community who can help to unwrap it. Whatever route is taken in Hill City to establish daycare, it is a vision and mission worth pondering.