Day care to close doors
BY EDNA SAILOR
When Kim Sanderson started her job at the Parshall Community Day Care Center in September of 1997 and Brooke Locken followed shortly after in June of 1998 they excitedly waited for the laughter and happy squeals from the little ones that would enter their doorway. Kim and Brooke were not disappointed. Each day since that time they have cared for the children as if they were their own. As closely as they can calculate, they have carefully watched over and protected 150 children since the doors opened. Until now that is. On July 31 the doors will close and where will the children go then? There are no easy answers.
Walking into the door of the facility is a visual treat. Visitors are greeted by a wall full of colorful feet and hand impressions left by children as they took their place in the history of the center. In the living room, a painted apple tree gives comfort to little ones as they are gently rocked beneath its branches.
Kim and Brooke agree that there are certain qualities that enable adults to work in the day care industry successfully. Those qualities described by the two include but are not limited to patience, humor, good teamwork, and compassion and caring.
As Brooke rocks one little one, another older child plays contentedly with a toy nearby. Kim attends to another who wails in a moment of despair about a toy. She gently comforts the child and says, "Life can be so hard sometimes." The child accepts this life lesson, wipes away a tear and scoots off to play. When talking about meeting the needs of all the children at one time, the two agree that there is a sense about "good noise" and "bad noise." They agree they have become very in tune with both. Not much later a child requests something and the inevitable teachable moment arises.
