44 Highland Road ~ Bethel Park, PA 15102 ~  Phone 412-854-4310

Thousands and thousands of pairs of tiny feet have learned to walk

                     and play in the rooms at Christ United Methodist Church Child Care Center                                                      

                                                                       

      ·    Serving South Hills families since 1981 ·  State Licensed ·  Nursery School, Day Care & Drop In Programs

      ·   Active Child Care Board ·  Christian Environment ·  Developmentally appropriate curriculum

      ·  Spacious Indoor and Outdoor facilities ·  Individual age appropriate classrooms · Summer Camps · Field Trips

      ·  Special programming including: Music, Art, Science, and Spanish ·  Qualified and Experienced Staff

       ·  Staff development opportunities ·   Before & After School Program · Transportation to and from local schools

       ·  Encourages parent involvement  · Responsive to family needs · Daily message boards for parents

       · Open House socials   ·  Parent Teacher conferences  · Works with special needs children

                            · Keystone STARS participant  · Outreach community programs

       · Special church programs including: Kingdom Kids, Journey to Bethlehem And Basket of Meaning

From a modest beginning to today, the Child Care Center has cared for the children in the community, offering a place where the child is valued first and foremost.                   

The initiative to open the center was spearheaded by Dr. Brian Bauknight, Senior Pastor, during his first years with Christ Church.  “The early form of our Child Care Center came with me out of my experience in my previous appointment.  However, I could never have envisioned the size and comprehensive ministry which has emerged over the past 25 years.  It has been exciting and gratifying to watch the Center grow and mature.”

“From the earliest days, the Center was a ‘listening point’ for the church into the community,” said Dr. Bauknight.  “How could Christ Church respond to the needs that were expressed formally or informally as parents came and went from the Center each day?  The Center has helped us listen to the heart of the community in a Christ-like fashion.”

The Center opened in September 1981 by offering Drop In service three days a week.   The first director was Pat Harbison, currently District Supertintendent, Erie-Meadville of  the Western PA Conference of the United Methodist Church.  Starting with just a handful children, the Center grew by word of mouth.

Cindy Olszewski, Director of Spiritual formation, who assisted Mrs. Harbinson, said the Center is a ministry of the church and not a separate entity.  “These are all our children, whether they are church members or not.”  Religious affiliation is not required to use the center and all denominations and faiths are welcomed. 

By September 1982, the center had grown to three components:  Drop In,  Nursery School and Day Care.  In 1986, the Day Care, Drop In and Time for Twos programs were licensed by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare.    The fourth component was initiated in September 1986 with the School Plus program for children from Kindergarten age through third grade. 

For the last 10 years, approximately 350 children have passed through the halls of the church weekly.  Programs and curriculum have been added or changed in response to the needs of the community.

The center is an autonomous, self-supporting program, though the Board of Directors, comprised of volunteer church members, oversees the operation of the Center by reviewing policies and finances 

The day-to-day operation is left in the hands of the directors and staff.  Jane Harrison is the current Director of Day Care and Drop In, Nancy Osman is the Director of Nursery School and Carol Roth is the Finance Manager.                                                   

                                                                       

Child care is not a static field, is it constantly growing and responding to the needs of the children and the community. That is where we excel – in identifying what is needed while never forgetting that children require, first and foremost, a place to feel safe, secure and loved.