The Children’s Center has been undergoing a few changes for this semester.

Wanda Borrego, coordinator of the Children’s Center, said they are currently working toward becoming a state-licensed facility.

“The Children’s Center is governed by the university, which in itself, is an entity,” Borrego said. “It was never a requirement for us to be state licensed. The university thought it would be more secure for us to have a second governing body.”

Borrego said this change will benefit students, faculty and staff.

“With us being licensed, many of the students and our customers can apply for help to pay for their child care,” Borrego said. “The university can have the center itself applied for a different grant.”

The Children’s Center has also raised their hourly rates by 50 cents. Fees are now $3 for students and $4 for faculty and staff members.

“We hadn’t had a rate change in five years, so we were due,” Borrego said. “[The rate change] will help us with all the state complications we have encountered along the way.”

Borrego said because the Children’s Center is now state licensed, it is open to the public.

“We are not only open to the IU Southeast community, but we are also open to the community at large.”

Borrego said the Children’s Center has benefits most day cares cannot offer.

“We are atypical in that most daycares close at 6, and we stay open until 8,” Borrego said.

Borrego said, each semester, the Children’s Center has a new theme. This fall the theme will be music.

“[Children will learn] where music comes from, what makes us detect music, how we feel music and about all the different types of music,” Borrego said.

Kara Roberts, special education senior and Children’s Center employee, said the music theme for this semester will help the children grow in their learning.

“With [the theme of] music, they will work on their motor skills,” Roberts said. “If they can learn to play the guitar, then they will be able to write with a pencil.”

Roberts said the children behave and respond better to musical signals.

“We use [the music theme] as an attention grabber,” Roberts said. “Instead of trying to yell to get the children’s attention, we’ll use a triangle or a drum, and that gets their full attention.”

Borrego said they have e-mailed the faculty and staff about coordinating musical events for the children.

She also said they are trying to bring musical activities into the center for the children.

“We are a drop-off center, so we can’t go anywhere or see anything,” Borrego said. “We have to bring that into the center. We’re just trying to get those resources in here.”

By AYSIA HOGLE

Staff 

ahogle@umail.iu.edu