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Courtesy of Megan E.
Daly Infant Development Program
Laura Rose (left), the Infant Development Program’s gardening
guru and an adviser in the psychology department, spends time weekly
teaching infants and toddlers about plants.
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ucla 4 u
Child-care program a 'hidden campus jewel'
BY DIANA DE CARDENAS
UCLA Today
In the midst of students rushing to class, you may have seen the youngest
members of the UCLA community playfully strolling around campus, holding
hands in the Sculpture Garden, browsing through the BookZone or simply
observing the birds, squirrels and trees.
These are the 15 infants and toddlers, 3 months to 3 years old, in the
UCLA Megan E. Daly Infant Development Program (IDP), a nationally accredited
child-care program run by the psychology department. Now marking its 20th
year, this “hidden campus jewel” offers UCLA families a unique
child-care setting that caters to their individual needs.
“Zero to 3 years are considered the most significant years in
the development of a child’s brain,” said IDP director Cathy
Tsao. “These early experiences have a huge impact on children’s
development and long-term outcomes so we take great pride in nurturing
and supporting our children throughout these formative years.”
But it offers more than just child care, as evidenced when it became
the first program of its kind to receive the Zero to Three Sally Provence
Award for Excellence in Infant/Family Practice, in part, because of the
program’s role in preparing early childhood professionals at the
undergraduate level. The teaching and research facility for the psychology
department, the center currently has three full-time teachers and seven
interns who are minoring in applied developmental psychology. Currently
housed in Franz Hall, the center will also soon operate in additional
space at the Fernald Child Study Center, allowing it to care for eight
more children, thanks to a grant from First 5 LA, a citizen initiative
approved by California voters in November 1998. Another First 5 grant
funds workshops IDP conducts for child-care professionals.
Serving only UCLA-affiliated families, IDP is run like a household.
Each child has his or her own crib or cot. During afternoon naps, some
children are rocked to sleep while others are read to. Parents and families
can visit anytime; mothers often stop by to breastfeed their infants.
Program teachers and caregivers change diapers, take out the trash and
write weekly journals for parents on each child’s progress and development.
“We try very hard to build personal relationships with our children
and families long after they leave our program and offer family support
and guidance,” said teacher Marisa Duran, who interned at IDP as
a psychology student in 1998.
Said Marc Levis-Fitzgerald, director of Undergraduate Evaluation and
Research at the UCLA College, whose two sons attend the program: “Our
children come from a two-dad household, and the program has made us feel
very supportive and not different. They are not only taking care of our
children, but they are helping us become better parents.”
On Oct. 18, IDP will celebrate its 20th anniversary and honor founders
Seymour and Norma Feshbach, professors emeriti, with an auction and wine-tasting
benefit, complete with live music and food in the Charles E. Young Salon
in Kerckhoff Hall. Tickets at $50 each can be purchased by calling (310)
825-2896. |
