Sarah Rich’s 8-year-old son graduated from the Bennett Family Child Care Center at Penn State three years ago. Her 3-year-old now attends pre-school there.
Twelve years ago, when Rich accepted a job at Penn State, a big selling point was the on-campus, academically driven child care system.
“We chose the Bennett Center precisely because it’s affiliated with the university and that to us means a lot in terms of the transparency,” Rich says.
Rich and her husband, David Geiser, chose Bennett for their children because it is a laboratory school where teachers instruct Penn State undergraduate students in the area of child care, therefore there’s an elevated level of expertise among instructors.
“The teachers are chosen in part because it’s understood that they’ll be taking care of kids, but also that they’ll be training Penn State students … and teaching them skills that those students want for going into child care in various ways when they graduate,” Rich says. “I’m a big believer that people who do work for the university and people who train university students should be considered part of the university community.”
The problem is that the community may not exist as early as April. That’s because the university is considering handing over the Bennett Center to private management.
Last summer, the university announced its plan to hire Hildebrandt Learning Centers, which already manages the university’s other child care center, Hort Woods. The university agreed to delay the changeover after a number of parents raised concerns. The university also agreed to let an appointed task force take a look at child care at Penn State.
The task force, which included parents, completed a report on its findings earlier this month. In it, the task force recommends delaying any changes in management for two years, while additional data is collected to determine the best course of action.
Specifically, the task force calls for more consistent budgeting data as well as annual data regarding the benefits both child care centers provide to the university.
Last week, Penn State President Rodney Erickson said he would hold off on a decision regarding Bennett until receiving feedback from the Faculty Senate and President’s Council.
Dan Willis, a parent of a Bennett student and member of the task force, says it’s essential to wait two years before implementing any changes as there are many unknowns when it comes to child care on campus.
Willis says the data necessary to make such a decision is not available, in part due to the university failing to follow Penn State’s Human Resources policy, HR-48. For example, when the director of child care services left in 2011, the position was not re-assigned. Additionally, the child care advisory and executive committees outlined in the policy have been dissolved.
“Penn state wasn’t following its own policy,” Willis says.
Rich says the uncertainty is already having a negative impact on Bennett. She says staff members are seeking other employment because their future at Penn State is in limbo.
That’s because if Erickson decides to have private management take over Bennett, instructors will lose their Penn State employment status as well as their university benefits. That means Bennett employees would no longer receive the same health benefits, or education benefits that allows them and their children to attend classes at Penn State.
“Time is of the essence,” Rich says. “Every week that goes by, every month that goes by without this decision, is a week or month that we start bleeding teachers. If the university is committed to maintaining a safe place for children … that is a situation that they cannot allow to continue.”
Ultimately, Rich does not want to see Bennett turned over to private management.
“I want to see Bennett preserved as a community that is based around respect for teachers and the highest expectations of education and care for children,” Rich says. “Those teachers deserve to be part of this university. They teach our children. They teach our students.
“They do highly skilled, specialized work for the university. It just seems both illogical and against the ethos of the university (to change operations). I want to see the university make a commitment to acknowledging the unique asset that Bennett is.”
Popular Stories:
Snow Causing Trouble Monday, More Snow, Ice and Sleet Coming Later
Strategic Plan Aims to Keep State College Neighborhoods Strong
Penn State Football: Four Downs on Christian Hackenberg with New QB Coach Ricky Rahne
Penn State Football: Lloyd Tubman Reopens Recruitment As Signing Day Closes In
Penn State Football: Vanderlinden Reportedly Will Coach At Air Force
