Staff at the Child Development Center and The Nest work together to provide for families in need at Cosumnes River College. The CDC is located on the east side of campus near the east entrance and the parking structure.
The CDC is a space for children of students, where teachers and staff provide hands-on learning accommodations for families according to their needs.
Anyone is welcome to apply for childcare, but according to the Cosumnes River College website, low-income families do not have to pay a fee and CRC students are first priority. Children aged 3 through 11 are eligible for childcare.
Applying for childcare can be done in person at the CDC front desk or online on the application information page.
“The vision of The Nest is to support student parents and help them succeed while providing them with the resources to do so,” said Lora Wardlaw, supervisor of the CDC and director of The Nest.
The Nest is a resource inside the CDC for student parents. Recently, a fence has been added to the Wellness Yard, a space for children that parents can utilize at times when they are not in class but handling other matters on campus, Wardlaw said.
Elham Ghaleb, a teacher at the CDC said, The Nest is open to student parents but all students are welcome. The space is there for students to relax and get work done, with amenities like study spots and a coffee nook available.
Other accommodating spaces provided by The Nest include lactation rooms and prayer spaces.
Wardlaw said early childhood education students are asked to put 108 hours per semester into the classroom, the CDC being the provided lab to do so.
Marissa Cano, a teacher at the child development center said, “I think the CDC provides a great experience to get hands-on learning with children in a lab setting, with mentors and educators who have gone through the program or gotten their degree, and they have a lot of experience working with children, and they are here to help you.”
Wardlaw said that students get experience teaching emergent play, letting children find their own interests and teachers will build activities around those interests.
The CDC allows ECE students to explore educating and find their own teaching style while completing lab hours, Wardlaw said.
At the CDC, professors and mentors work closely with ECE students, giving them the information and feedback needed to help students succeed in future childhood education careers.
Faculty at the CDC emphasize the importance of in-person learning and teaching for ECE students when creating relationships with educators and children at the center.
“When COVID hit, and we were doing everything online, it was unfortunate because all of those teachers did not get the opportunity to be here in a classroom for two semesters and really dive into it,” Wardlaw said, “The bond and relationships is what it’s all about.”
Many families who have previously received assistance from The Nest often come back to show their appreciation for the staff by thanking them for their efforts, said Ghaleb.
The Nest staff hosts events with the main focus being the needs and preferences of families.
“We observe the needs of the families and students that we serve. And then we organize it based on the interests of the family and children,” said Hiroko Iyong, a student support assistant.
Ghaleb said if families are not as interested in an event, the staff takes this into consideration and makes changes for the next semester.
The Nest will be hosting an event on April 10, showcasing the Wellness Yard provided by the new installation of the fence. All students and staff are welcome Monday through Thursday 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.