September, 2002
Contact: Holly Brooker
(845) 255-1450 xt.1301

While these scenes resemble something right out of a children’s television show, it is actually just one of the many daily activities taking place at the Ulster BOCES Child Care Center, thanks to the generous donation of new preschool playroom equipment called “Roomscapes” by Community Playthings, a Bruderhof Communities business.

“The Child Care Center has worked as a consultant with Community Playthings over the years, assisting them in the testing and designing of their products," explains Kristi Cusa, coordinator of the Ulster BOCES Child Care Center. “Members of the Bruderhof Communities came out to our facility and assessed the equipment we had, some of which was 20 years old. They spoke to us about what our needs were and then offered to update the equipment by donating approximately $7,500 in new items to our Center. And they even came out one Saturday morning and set it all up for us. We are just so thrilled!” enthuses Cusa.

The staff and children of the Ulster BOCES Child Care Center enthusiastically welcomed the new equipment that included a sand and water table for manipulative/science play, children’s tables and chairs, a room divider, shelving units for books and toys, a children’s kitchen set (stove, sink, refrigerator, and cupboard), and a puppet stage complete with curtains.

“The children are having a wonderful time playing with the new items,” says Cusa. “We are very appreciative of the Bruderhof Communities for their kind and generous donation.”

“It’s about the children,” states Ian Winter, community outreach representative for the Bruderhof Communities in Ulster Park. “We have supported the Ulster BOCES Career & Technical Center facility for the past 30 years. By having our furniture there, the equipment ultimately benefits the kids and area young people who are training there for a career in the childcare field. Reaching out to the children and young people is part of the mission of our community.”

The Ulster BOCES Child Care Center, which is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), serves dual purposes. First, the facility is run by adult professionals in the Ulster BOCES Career & Technical Center and provides high quality early education services for children from eight weeks to five years old. Clients include children of Ulster BOCES students enrolled in the Parenting Teen and Adult & Continuing Education Programs, Ulster BOCES employees, and the general community. The Center also serves as a hands-on learning environment for high school students interested in pursuing careers in the childcare field. In addition to studying early childhood education in the traditional classroom setting, students enrolled in the two-year program are given the opportunity to see the methods and techniques of childcare providers first-hand as they shadow the professional caregivers, as well as gain actual experience while working with the children themselves.