Extending well beyond the basic preschool 1-2-3s, the waiting list at the Whelan Child Care Center – the child care center near Mercy Hall – stands at 175 names, according to Kimberly Herbert, director of the center since 1998.
Some parents wanting to enroll their children in Whelan get put on the waitlist before their children are even born. Angela Hoffer, assistant dean of the College of Social Sciences, placed her name on the Whelan waiting list when she started working at Loyola University in 1999 – before she was married or pregnant – because she knew how hard it was to get in.
When she became pregnant in late 2005, she immediately called the center to say she was due in March 2006. Due to Hurricane Katrina, many people on the waiting list did not return to the city, therefore moving Hoffer from 21st to 11th place.
According to Whelan’s procedures, children on the waiting list are divided into their age category as well.
When a vacancy is available in a particular class, enrolled children have first priority. The oldest child of the class below the class-level with the vacancy is evaluated and may “graduate” to the next level, depending on his or her development. If the enrolled child doesn’t move up, a wait-listed child could be accepted. A child fully graduates at age five.
Students, faculty, staff, alumni and community are all allowed to enroll their children into the center.
There are six classifications: infant, toddler, one-year-old, two-year-old, three-year-old and preschool.
The waiting list lists the children’s names according to the child’s parent/guardian affiliation. It is also updated monthly due to birthdays and advancement on the list.
Parents are called every six months to verify their status and decide whether or not they wish to remain on the active list.
As one of the few parents to outlast the waiting list, Hoffer feels fortunate.
“(I’m) very satisfied, I feel so lucky to get in. At that time there was no child care in the city. Some of the private schools weren’t accepting new kids,” Hoffer said.
Her daughter, Emma has been at the Center since she was five months old and is turning two in February.
“The reputation was most important to me, plus she’s close to me on campus. I think it’s a really good learning environment.”
Hoffer said all the teachers know Emma and because the curriculum is advanced, she comes home saying a new word almost daily and sings lots of songs.
Hurricane Katrina destroyed 85 percent of daycare facilities in the New Orleans area, according to nolababy.com.
In their article “Daycare Dilemma,” only 18 of the 285 centers pre-Katrina were accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Now, Whelan remains one of two accredited schools in New Orleans by NAEYC.
Whelan has 15 full-time staff members with two teachers in each class, all certified and two with master’s degrees, Herbert said.
The center also recently became a part of the Louisiana’s Quality Rating System, a state-run evaluation scale that acts as a guide for parents and creates criteria for possible state funding.
The Whelan Children’s Center is approaching its 20th anniversary in August. It is named after the Rev. James Francis Whelan, S.J., the first chairman of Loyola’s education department, who served on the first board that established the state’s teaching requirements. Math, science, reading, and art are among the center’s curriculum of activities, which aim to enhane academic and social skills.
Herbert said the students are encouraged to used different art media to express their emotions and creativity.
“Everything is developmental here,” she said. “Parents say we are the best-kept secret.”
Rosie Dao can be reached at [email protected].
