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Sharing our story Corning Childrens Center 2014-2015 Annual Report Dear Families and Friends In anticipation of our 35th anniversary I find myself reflecting on the Corning Childrens Centers mission and values. Since 1980 the Center has remained a stable force in this community striving to offer a creative safe stimulating and fun place for staff children and their families to explore and grow. Our mission is to set the standard in early care and education by inspiring Learners Leaders and Dreamers through our core values of High-Quality Child Care and Early Education Active Learning Family Partnerships Diversity and Collaboration. As we celebrate our 35th year I have been honored to reconnect with a number of the programs founding board members staff and early supporters. It has become clear to me through conversations with these remarkable individuals that the Center has been unwavering in its mission and values. This past year the Center has committed to making the Mandarin Immersion Program an ongoing part of our educational curriculum for older students allowing our future leaders to learn Mandarin Chinese and actively participate in the celebrations and traditions of that fascinating culture. Thanks to the hard work of a group of dedicated volunteers the outdoor play space continues to expand with the recent addition this summer of the fanciful Hobbit Hole and the planned installation of the Fossil Exploration Center. I cant wait to see where our childrens imaginations take them within these new exciting worlds Now more than ever we are so grateful for the ongoing support and guidance of our Board of Directors our generous donors who make our unique enrichment programs possible and for the many volunteers who donate their time and expertise to ensuring that Corning Childrens Center sets a standard of excellence for early childhood learning within our local community. We have the opportunity now to begin the process of envisioning where Corning Childrens Center can go how we as an organization may grow and how our mission may evolve over the next 35 years. At Corning Childrens Center we have a mantra that has gotten us through hard times and led us down exciting new paths we say Corning Childrens Center does change well. We welcome your help as we continue to grow and change. In the spirit of continual change and improvement I encourage you to add your voice to the conversation. Share your dreams and talents and make a difference in the lives of children and families during their formative years. I look forward to your call or visit at the LEED-certified facility we call home. Warmly Peigi Cook Executive Director From the Desk of the Executive Director Our Story Peigi Cook 1980 Opened serving 24 pre-schoolers in the First Presbyterian Church of Corning 1991 Expanded to include toddler care 1994 Moved to new building. Began infant and pre-k programs and expanded others 1996 Expanded licensed capacity to 143 children 2000 Implemented Continuity of Caregivers from infancy through pre-school We Believe In High Quality Child Care and Early Education Utilizing developmentally appropriate practices which are informed by current research Developing transferring and retaining staff knowledge to sustain high levels of care and education Supporting and retaining our committed staff Creating an environment that encourages staff to explore grow and learn Active Learning Protecting each childs right to play and discover the world in a safe nurturing and stimulating environment Exposing children and staff to a wider world with rich and varied programming Encouraging children to try new things and fostering their individuality Family Partnerships Meeting the unique needs of individual families Developing Center-family partnerships Creating a sense of community Diversity Embracing our common humanity Learning about differences Encouraging respect Maintaining a commitment to socio-economic diversity Collaboration Seeking opportunities with individuals businesses and organizations to expand resources Advocating for children and families Our Mission Our Vision Corning Childrens Center sets the standard in early care and education by inspiring learners leaders and dreamers. 3 2003 Part of pilot for Early Education accreditation - Middle States Commission on Education 2005 Achieved accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Education 2009 Moved into new LEED certified early care and education center 2010 Early Head Start partnership began 2015 Piloted Mandarin Immersion Program Who We Are We think of ourselves as a neighborhood comprised of parents staff and children. Wings have been developed around the concept of family groupings and provide a smaller safe familiar environment for all of the members of our community. We serve a wide range of socio-economic levels in the community on a first come first served basis. Our sliding fee scale assures access to families of all shapes and sizes by assessing fees based on family size and income. Because we are committed to serving a cross section of our community we have welcomed families receiving subsidized child care and offer some families program-funded financial assistance supported by our fundraising efforts. In keeping with our commitment to families priority placement is given to the children of staff members or the siblings of children already enrolled in the program. We are honored to share in the lives of children during the critical first five years of their lives. In 201415 on an average day we served 24 Infants 62 Toddlers 73 Preschool and Pre-K students We successfully graduated 34 children from Pre-K this year. Since 1980 we have served thousands of children just imagine if we could put all of those children in one room and hear their stories Jessica Dailey President Kevin Julien Vice President Thomas McConnell Secretary Beth Tranter Treasurer Sean Barrett Human Resources Ted Goldwyn Immediate Past President Will Blanchard Jackie Carpenter Donna Chapman Michael Donlon Kelli Hopp-Michlosky Anurag Jain Chris Kelly Hilda Lando Patrick OBrien Brittany Salgado Sharon Stone Thank you to our 2014-2015 fiscal year Board of Directors Board positions are held from October to September Our third board reunion was held on May 7 2015. We were delighted to have folks from the beginning of the Corning Childrens Center share stories about its founding especially as we mark our 35th anniversary. Our People Set Us Apart The Committed Caregivers Club includes those staff members who have dedicated five years or more to the important work we do at the Center. In a time when the majority of American workers stay in a job for three years or less and in a field noted for its high turnover rate the Corning Childrens Center is especially proud of its dedicated staff. In 201415 59.6 of the programs regular staff members had worked for the Corning Childrens Center for five years or more - representing 480 years of cumulative service to our communitys children 26 to 30 years Margaret Morford 20 to 25 years Robin Lee Peigi Cook Amy Clark Lisa Barrett 15 to 19 years Donna Crawford-Ames Cindy Blencowe Julie Dann Barbara Pickering Beth Downing Heidi Graves Ginny Kruger Renee Warner 10 to 14 years Barb Thomas Becky Elvenia Delores Folk Deanna Vosburgh April Dilly Terri Radke Krista Gilliam 5 to 9 years Shanna Van Patten Lilibeth Dayag Michelle Dee Billiejean Bulkley Deb Riff Ayumi Pereira Karen Mattison Laura Fish Megan Shelansky Nataliya Pivovarova Kathy Harrison Krista Coats National Recognition Aspyn Landis was selected as a 2015 Terri Lynne LokoffChildrens TYLENOL National Child Care Teacher Award recipient 5 Income We know the cost of early-age care and education can be one of the most significant expenses in a familys budget. That is why we work so hard to make care accessible to families across the socio-economic spectrum. It is also why we dedicate so much effort to building ongoing support throughout our community. Tuition income represents 67.7 of our program operating income. The remaining 32.3 of our budget is covered through other sources Grant support and fundraising contribute roughly 29.6 of our income. The programs ambitious fundraising efforts underwrote the cost of care by nearly 161000 this fiscal year. Corning Incorporated continues to support our mission via a generous operating grant and by underwriting the costs associated with our building. We are deeply grateful for their long-standing assistance. Investments registration fees and state reimbursements for families eligible for free and reduced-price meals cover 2.7 of our expenses. GRANT SUPPORT AND FUNDRAISING 29.6 STATE MEAL REIMBURSEMENT INVESTMENTS AND REGISTRATION FEES 2.7 TUITION 67.7 The 12th annual Blue Moon Ball gala and auction our largest fundraising endeavor was held January 17 2015 at the Corning Museum of Glass. The event has become the areas premier social event as 300 guests from the greater Corning- Elmira area gather to bid on enticing auction packages from our community partners. In 2015 the event raised 115000 The Playground Committee and a remarkable group of United Way Day of Caring volunteers moved 28 tons thats 56000 pounds of material on June 19 2015 for the installation of our new Hobbit Hole play area. Please come and see it when you get a chance Blue Moon Ball Playground Enhancement Volunteers We are thankful to all of our generous donors for their amazing support and commitment to our work and the community. Investments 7 When people talk about Corning Childrens Center they always talk first about our wonderful staff. We truly believe that it is our people who make us what we are. Therefore we believe in the importance of continuously investing in our staff in the form of wages benefits training and appreciation. Just over 80 of our expenses reflect these important allocations. We know that working with children and making a difference in their lives every day is what motivates our amazing teaching staff not making money. Regardless we value our staff and are wholeheartedly committed to providing annual wage increases and providing the best available benefits including health insurance and employer 403b contributions. In addition to investments in our staff we are known for the rich programming we offer. Program enrichment actually represents less than 1 of our total expenses but it offers so much to children. STAFF WAGES BENEFITS TRAINING AND APPRECIATION 82.6 CLASSROOM EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES 1.4 JANITORIAL AND MAINTENANCE 3.3 MEAL SERVICE 6.8OFFICE SUPPLIES EQUIPMENT INSURANCE CONTRACTS SUBSCRIPTIONS FEES ETC. 5.9 Among many other activities this year we Coached 10 people to do 10 Inspiring Talks on developmentally appropriatebest practices at our all- staff training day in April including kitchen and custodial staff. Conducted our popular Poetry into Song project with members of our administrative team reading poetry to the children classroom staff working with children to write their own poems and musician Luke Gustafson turning those poems into songs. At the end of the project each child who participated received a published book of poems and a CD of the songs they wrote and recorded. Enjoyed two visiting authorillustrator visits Deborah Freedman in September and Mary Newell DePalma in March. Partnered with the Alternative School for Math Science to provide students enriching volunteer opportunities in our classrooms. Watched two Tri-Cities Opera performances Childrens Movie and Musical Favorites and Pinocchio. Celebrated connection with nature by playing in the mud on International Mud Day in June. Continued our monthly concert series with visits from two Irish step dancers middle eastern music klezmer music as well as smooth jazz and traditional music from the British Isles Cuba and the United States to name a few. Celebrated the completion of our first Rally Campaign with the purchase of Community Playthings Big Outlast Set outdoor block classroom. Enjoyed a visit from Tanglewood Nature Centers Birds of Prey. Assembled a painting installment with artist Joanne Gargano which included artwork from each Pre-K student. Corning Childrens Center www.corningchildrenscenter.com www.facebook.comcorningchildrenscenter 107 Arthur Street Corning NY 14830 607-937-5502 Administrative Team Peigi Cook Executive Director Eileen Huff Director of Finance Meghan Parsons Director of Development Delores Folk Office Manager Lisa Barrett Infant Age Level Specialist Renee Warner Toddler Age Level Specialist Shanna VanPatten PreschoolPre-K Age Level Specialist Margaret Morford Administrative Assistant Special Needs Consultant Jessica Brown Administrative Assistant Support Our Work www.corningchildrenscenter.comsupporters