Children's center celebrates 50 years

KateLynn Slaamot
NLJ Correspondent
 
For 50 years, the Weston County Children’s Center has been going strong – providing educational and child care services to Weston County, as well as passing down family legacies. 
Francie Gregory, the center’s finance director, and Kim Bock, the special education director, said that the center has been home to several generations of families. Many who attended as children are now working at the center, or their kids and grandkids now attend. Both Gregory’s and Bock’s children attended in the past, and now their grandchildren help populate the center. 
The nonprofit organization got its start in 1969, when it was based out of the First Baptist Church. In 1975, it moved to the basement of the United Methodist Church, and in 1988, the center finally relocated to its present building on Stampede Street. 
The center consistently hosts over 100 children — the specific number varying between seasons —and it boasts around 35 full-time employees, who are very consistent and have been there many years, according to Gregory. 
“We try to accommodate the working schedule of the parents,” Gregory said. Although the center opens at 6:30 a.m., it often accommodates some children earlier than that, because of the parents’ schedules. The center serves breakfast in the morning and holds preschool classes from 8 a.m. to noon. The afternoon consists of more relaxed, yet still structured, child care. Children get inside and outside play time, social interactions and much more. 
Gregory has worked at the center for 24 years, and she’s done various jobs, including teaching. Gregory said that she has always been interested in education and that she is delighted to work where she does. 
“I think it’s more than enjoyment,” Gregory said. “It’s a passion for me at this point.” 
Gregory said she was amazed to have a job that allowed her children to come to work with her. She is also excited that her children grew up in the center and that now she gets to watch her grandchildren grow up there too. 
Bock also appreciates the aspect of watching her grandchildren grow. She has worked at the center for almost 30 years and has tried her hand at “pretty much any job in the building.” As the current special education director, who also shares the executive co-director title with Gregory, she said that she was eager to jump right in and work with children as soon as possible – without waiting four years to finish college. 
Time at the children’s center is ripe with memories, Bock said, and she enjoys reminiscing about things that have happened in the past. 
“I think we also get a little sentimental when we look back on pictures from years and years ago,” Bock said. 
Both Gregory and Bock said that they hope to best prepare children for kindergarten — socially and educationally. They also strive to meet the individual needs of each child, such as learning speed and method. 
“It’s certainly not just child care,” Gregory said. Bock added that the center “works really hard on providing learning” while also integrating fun and entertainment. 
“We’re also providing good, solid, educational opportunities,” Bock said. 
The center is hosting a celebration for its 50th anniversary, and the open house is going to be Sept. 26 at the Weston County Children’s Center at 6:30 p.m. Bock and Gregory said that they are hoping for a large celebration with people from the community and staff members – past and present – to help them celebrate this milestone. 
One thing that the two women credit for the center’s longevity is its ability to change with growing and fluctuating needs. 
“We’re able to change with the needs of the community and the needs of education,” Gregory said. 
Gregory also said that the center wouldn’t be where it is without the supportive community and local school district. 
While the center has already been open for a half century, Bock and Gregory said that they hope its legacy and service to the community continue for many years to come. 
“I hope that, long after we’re gone, there continues to be people who really care about this place,” Bock said.