For half a century, the Jefferson City Day Care Center has provided a service that has given thousands of area children an opportunity to grow into their full potential.
We commend the not-for-profit organization on its 50th birthday, and we look forward to the next half century. Last week, the agency celebrated its anniversary along with a new name: Little Explorers Discovery Center.
The "Little" in the name honors Rosalie Little, the agency's former director. The rest of the name reflects the fact that it serves clientele beyond the Jefferson City limits and is more than simply a "day care." It has changed with the times, and like other similar organizations, it has progressed from more of a babysitting service to an early-learning facility.
The accredited center offers meals and has a playground, but it also gives them the essential early education that's basically expected these days by the time a child reaches kindergarten.
Preschools, and child care in general, are expensive. Sending two children to preschool for a year can top $10,000 these days. It's a steep price for working-class families struggling to make ends meet.
That's why Little Explorers is such an asset to our community. The not-for-profit organization is a United Way agency, and it lets families pay on a sliding scale, based on what they can afford.
So, regardless of a family's financial status, they can still afford to send their child to the center.
The center's philosophy is that "each child is entitled to safe, clean, and attractive surroundings and an educational program which is appropriately structured to meet the needs of his or her age and ability, which will foster a deep sense of his or her self worth."
An early education will put kids on the right path to succeed in school. That, in turn, will lead to self-confidence and self-worth, and eventually leading successful careers, both emotionally and financially.
Little Explorers Discovery Center is one of many local agencies that quietly works every day to ensure that no child is left behind. They've created a brighter future for several generations already, and, in some cases, likely broken the cycle of poverty.