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“To provide nurturing, developmentally appropriate childcare that builds a foundation for lifelong learning, with an emphasis on life skills and school readiness.”
~Mission Statement of CDC
Ponca City’s Child Development Center (CDC) has a rich history of taking care of not only children, but families, and they are still growing and going strong today. Director Mary Beth Hunt calls the facility her “happy place.” She says what leads to her favorite moments are when children know her name and are excited to see her. In addition, she is most proud when children meet both their behavioral and educational/knowledge goals.
For the community, the growth has been a tremendous benefit during a time when many daycare providers are either cutting programs or closing their doors. CDC’s mission is important now than it has been in the past.
CDC originally opened its doors in 1967 when a Church Women United group, made up of individuals from a variety of local churches completed a survey and began plans to help the families they discovered needed daycare with assistance in paying the cost. A portion of the cost for families was covered through the contributions and fundraising of this group of women. The program’s first day began with five children, but normal daily attendance soon reached 30.
Growth continued with this important service with the capacity growing to 40 children in 1971, 90 infants and children in 1988 and they are now licensed for 110 but will plan that growth slowly enough to be able to have staffing and facilities ready for the increase. They continue to have a governing board and churches who support them financially, as well as being a United Way partner since 1972. They are a five-star-rated facility for infants through preschool children.
The Center leases their current building at 1615 N. 7th Street, the former Washington Pre-K Center, for only $10 a year from Ponca City Public Schools for good reason. There were many conversations about the need of their employees in finding childcare. While this helps the Center greatly, it also helps families of PCPS who receive a 20% discount for their childcare. In addition, all families can utilize a sliding scale for their payment amount. At a time when costs seem to rise so greatly in most areas of life, this is a way that can truly assist families.
The current staff count is 25, and they go through a variety of training both on-the-job and otherwise. The staff recently went through the “Working Genius” program, which elevates team development through understanding individual strengths and productivity styles. Hunt stresses how much this helps people in their work together and not expecting everyone to be the same. The program builds collaboration and workflow through better understanding of one another.
Evidence of the importance of the Child Development Center to the community was the tremendous turnout for their ribbon cutting hosted by the Ponca City Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 21 at their new facility. People of all ages from a variety of businesses and walks of life attended to celebrate this new expansion.
To find out more information about CDC, you can check out their FB page or call the office at 580-765-7532.
Executive Director Hunt taught in the classroom, even spending a couple of years in Special Education before the position at CDC opened. She knew she had to apply for the opening. When she was a mother attending college, she was able to benefit from that sliding scale for daycare for her own children. She is now delighted to serve in this position because it brings her full circle to helping others in the same way the program assisted her.
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