Child Development Center
Overview
The GSU Child Development Center, formerly known as the Family Life Center, is a developmental enrichment program that serves 68 children from university and community families. The program serves children from age 6 weeks to 5 years old. It has been in operation since 1972. The Center provides an enriching environment for young children and their parents and focuses on the physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and creative development of the child.
The classrooms are staffed with experienced teachers educated in the field of Child Development and/or Early Childhood Education.
Georgia Southern University lab students also spend time in the classrooms. These students perform a variety of functions, depending upon their level of expertise.
HISTORY
The Family Life Center Child Development Laboratory was established in 1952 on the site currently occupied by the Henderson Library. It was called the Home Economics Nursery School. The lab had a kitchen, an office, and one classroom with one head teacher. Students in the Home Economics Child Development classes observed, participated, and assisted the head teacher. In the Fall of 1966 another teacher was added and that one classroom was used for the 3-year-olds in the morning, and the 4-year-olds in the afternoon. During that same time period, summer school was added, and some of the most efficient child development students taught the children during the summer quarters. In 1972 under the administration of Dr. Betty Lane, Department Chair for the Division of Home Economics, the nursery school moved to its present site on Forest Drive. The building was completed at a cost of $250,000. It continued to be known as the Home Economics Nursery School until 1985 when the name changed to the Family Life Center Child Development Laboratory. From 1972 to 1985 there were four groups of children, two of them were taught by master teachers and the other two were taught by graduate assistants who had taken classes in the Family Life Center and practiced the philosophy of the whole child.
DIRECTORS
Betsye Meadows-served as the first director.
Doris Pearce, Ph.D.-served as director from 1972 to 1985. Under her outstanding leadership, many policies, procedures, and certain standards were established and placed into effect.
Ms. Susie Whitener-1985, had served as a master teacher for the 4-year-old group, and later as teacher of college preschool education courses.
Mary Anne Pace, Ph.D.-The name change went into effect from the Home Economics Nursery School to the Family Life Center Child Development Laboratory under her leadership.
Vickie M. Brinkley, Ph.D.-1990 to 1993. Under her leadership, the program received its accreditation in 1993 by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs, a division of the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
Jerri J. Kropp, Ph.D-1993 to 2006. Under the direction of Dr. Kropp, the Family Life Center was reaccredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs in 1996 and 1999. She also changed the policy to give parents a choice of half or full days for the enrollment of their children. In the fall of 2000, the option of extended hours was added. In addition, teacher aide positions were upgraded to Child Development Specialist.
Alice H. Hall, Ph.D-2006-present. Under Dr. Hall's leadership, the Little Infant Toddler Eagles (LITE) program and the Family Life Center preschool were merged into one unit known as the Child Development Center.
The Child Development Center is a unit within the Department of Hospitality, Tourism and Family and Consumer Sciences (formerly Family and Consumer Sciences) which is a component of the College of Health and Human Sciences at Georgia Southern University.
