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Philosophy
At the Mekeel Child Care Center we believe that children learn best through play, exploration and self-discovery. Learning focuses on the whole child by encouraging their cognitive, social/emotional, and physical growth as well as their creative expression. The strong foundation that is laid here will nurture those qualities and support lifelong learners.
Enrollment
A $25.00 non refundable registration fee applies each year. University students, faculty and staff have first priority registration
Classification for Enrollment
ESU student enroll hourly with a minimum of (2) 3 hour blocks of time, by the semester
ESU Faculty/Staff enroll half days, full days with a minimum of (2) half days, by
by Angela Euell-McNair
Contributed Photo
March 13, 2020, the day that the world truly changed for Pennsylvania. This is the day Governor Wolf shut most businesses down completely, including childcare services, event venues, and many more. Folks were already in disarray with the unknown factors surrounding the details of the pandemic, now it has reached many people both physically and financially. Lives are being lost, businesses are closed and so much is unknown as to what happens next.
In my world, the very weekend we shut down my niece Mariah was born. Can you imagine bringing a life into the world that has just been shut down? Can you imagine your only source of income being temporarily blocked when you have to care for a family and newborn? With her mother being in the childcare industry as well as myself, this is an issue we as well as many others faced. Anxiety went into a state of overload during this time. With venues mandated to close, this also
But even with these investments, Pennsylvania is nowhere near the level of funding that NIEER recommends. The report calls for $12,000 per student, compared to the $6,850 per student the state spends now.
And while Pennsylvania has increased overall spending on early childhood, it has not increased the basic rate of reimbursement for child care services since 2007.
Quality or access?
Maintaining quality and standards is a tall order in the state’s complex public-private system of child care and early childhood education. The state measures quality through its Keystone Stars rating system, established in 2003, which sets standards for teacher training and credentials, classroom practices, and financial soundness, among other benchmarks. Child care centers are rated from one star through four, and the lower quality centers are helped to improve.
New child care tax credits and funding mean help for Lehigh Valley families
Updated 3:01 PM;
A year ago, Sandy Bailey was looking forward to getting some financial relief.
The Allentown mother of two young children was ready to see her oldest start first grade in the 2020-2021 school year. It would mean lower child care bills, some welcome money for the single mom.
The COVID-19 pandemic not only took that relief away, it heaped more financial strain on Bailey and her family. School for Bailey’s oldest child was all virtual, and Bailey needed to pay for full-day care for her two kids so she could continue working full time through the pandemic.