Whitfield-Dalton Day Care Center

The Fredrick Street site was opened in 1971 with finds from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and Title IV-A to provide affordable childcare for thirty-five children. in 1973, the Atcooga and Varnell sites were opened to serve an additional seventy-five children under the same funding programs. The Varnell site was closed in 1985. In 1991, the Atcooga site at 8 Crescent street was expanded so as to consolidate the Fredrick Street site and serve eighty-six children. A Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and an endowment from the Alan and Shirley Loberbaum Foundation, Building Better Futures, were used to renovate the old City Park School that was opened in August, 2003. Our community have always been very supportive of the Whitfield County-Dalton Day Care Center. Some of our clients are subsidized through the Whitfield County-Dalton Day Care Center. Some of our clients are subsidized through the Department of Family and Children Services. Our other clients/children are subsidized from the city and county governments and United Way.

The Whitfield-Dalton Daycare Center Inc., a non-profit organization, currently provides high-quality childcare for children ages 15 months to 5 years. The Agency is designed to enable parents/guardians to continue employment or educational opportunities with the assurance that their child is well-cared for in a safe, nurturing, and stimulating environment. We strive to provide an atmosphere that improves a child's self-esteem, encourages confidence, and enhances the skills that will help prepare them for the life experiences ahead. The benefit we can have on both a child's life as well as a family's life is immeasurable. Our center is open year-round, Monday through Friday. Our hours each day are designed for working parents with our doors opening at 6:30 a.m. and remaining opened until 5:45 p.m. During the course of the day, we serve the child a nutritious breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack at no additional cost to the family. Because small group sizes and child-to-staff ratios are two indicators of high-quality care, we place a high priority on these two elements of our care. As a result, we maintain lower child-to-staff ratios and smaller group sizes than the minimum state requirements and ratios that are in line with the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs (NAEYC) accreditation guidelines. The center uses the Creative Curriculum, which feels that young children learn best by doing. Through active involvement with their environment, children begin to enthusiastically learn about their world around them. The curriculum addresses goals in all area of development: social/emotional, cognitive, and physical. The center has also been inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach. The foundation of the Reggio Emila approach believes in the power of documentation (e.g. transcripts of children's remarks and discussions, photographs of their activity, and other representations of children's learning and thinking), which is evident in our classrooms and hallways. The center provides guidance to parents who help in adjusting to the challenges and responsibilities of parenting, career, and academic demands. Monthly parent meetings and center newsletter help to promote a balanced, productive family life. Parents have the opportunity to evaluate the quality and effectiveness of our program on an annual basis and also participate in minimum of two parent/teacher conferences.