What once was the bustling City College Child Development Center, filled with children’s laughter on the playground, is now an empty, fenced-in area with no specific date when the campus’s youngest students will return. In March, parents were notified within days of its closure.
According to Amy Strimling, department chair of early childhood development, after the campus closure was announced due to COVID-19 restrictions, the center did not shut down immediately. Staff at the center had three days to leave campus and transition to online learning.
“We were able to get everything we needed to take home,” Strimling said, noting that her 5-year-old twins attended preschool at the center. “But, like everyone in March, we thought it may only last a few weeks. I don’t think we really imagined this continuing through the fall semester.”
Strimling said she taught partially online and partially on campus before March but transitioned fully to distance learning when campus closed. According to early childhood education coordinator Laurie Perry, the teaching staff and lab assistants continue to meet with children via Zoom.
“We all miss being with the children and teaching in the center, but the health and safety of staff, children and families is our first priority, “ Perry said. “We will reopen the Child Development Center to serve ECE students, families and children when it is safe to do so.”
As part of their degree program, ECE students typically work with the children at the center, Strimling said. City College students, faculty and staff also utilize the center as a daycare facility.
According to Strimling, ECE students do observations in the Child Development Center, which requires her to be creative as she teaches online—without children interacting with one another and playing with their peers.
“The kids definitely missed their teachers and classmates, but they handled the transition really well,” Strimling said. “We were able to participate in Zoom meetings with the teachers and other children. We also maintained contact with a couple of classmates.”
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“It definitely took some getting used to,” said Strimling. “But we have really supportive co-workers who understand the challenges we face having children at home.”
Perry agrees that City College students are doing what parents everywhere are doing to offset the child care dilemma—studying and taking their online courses while caring for their children. She explains that without standards for educational instruction, parents and children would have a difficult time adjusting.
“Having high quality care and education for young children is essential for parents to work and go to school,” Perry said. “Teachers and staff working in early care and education facilities are essential workers. Without early care and education, anyone with young children had real challenges working and or going to school.”
Strimling advised working parents who are also City College students with children at home to take things one day at a time and give themselves credit for what they’re currently juggling.
“You aren’t alone in your challenges. We are just doing the best we can do,” Strimling said. “Everybody, of course, misses being on campus, but until it is safe, this is the best option.”
