Dennis Leone appointed interim head of new facility

"This project it the consolidation of a lot of different agencies for the first time," said Dennis Leone, interim director for the center.

To get prepared for the center's opening, Leone visited numerous similar facilities, including the Franklin County Early Childhood Education and Family Center located on Johnstown Road near the Columbus airport.

"We've learned a lot ... from visiting other centers," Leone said, adding that included the importance of developing a cohesive operations manual for the center.
Article published Jan 6, 2007

Chillicothe Gazette

Child Development and Family Service Center opens producing smiling faces

By JONA ISON

Gazette Staff Writer

The Head Start students laugh as they hurriedly race around the perimeter of their new home, driving various trikes. Riding in the hallways is something new for them, too.
"They love it," said Denise Sanford who is the Head Start manager at the new Ross County-Ohio University-Chillicothe Child Development and Family Service Center which opened Tuesday.

Over the holidays, rooms were put together in a rush in a move from old classrooms, located at Hopewell, and into the brand new $3.4 million center where, although they have rein over the building this week, partners will begin moving in around them.

"This is the first new facility our children have ever had," Sanford said, adding that in her 25 years with Head Start, classes have always been placed into former schools or other places.

About 100 children have already moved into the facility and the expectation is that about 200 children will be part of the Head Start classes at the center.
Partnering for better service

But the center, built with commitment funds, donations, foundations and grants, isn't just for Head Start, said OU-C Dean Rich Bebee. Located on OU-C's campus near the Shoemaker Center, the center also will house two classes from the college - early childhood education and nursing - and programs from Ross County Jobs and Family Services, Ross County Board of MR/DD, and an outreach program from Walnut Street United Methodist Church.
"This project it the consolidation of a lot of different agencies for the first time," said Dennis Leone, interim director for the center.

To get prepared for the center's opening, Leone visited numerous similar facilities, including the Franklin County Early Childhood Education and Family Center located on Johnstown Road near the Columbus airport.

"We've learned a lot ... from visiting other centers," Leone said, adding that included the importance of developing a cohesive operations manual for the center.
Tried, true

Rebecca Love, director of the Franklin County center's board of MR/DD, said the partnerships at the Franklin County facility have taken a lot of work since it opened in September 2001, but it has been worth it.
"It's been wonderful. We have really developed lots and lots of information from one another," she said. "We have had a lot of learning of each others agencies ... The children who are being served, one system never would have been able to achieve."

Some of the most notable developments since opening has been the community support and offerings to the center, all with diverse reaches into the community, Love added. When the ADAMH Board of Franklin County passed a levy, part of the money was earmarked for children services. The organization approached the center, Love said, and offered $50,000 which was used to place a full-time children's services mental health expert on site.

"It's almost like a field of dreams," she said in regard to the number of organizations that have approached and helped the center grow.
Exposure, growth

Bob Gallagher, director of Ross County Job and Family Services, said joining the project aligned with services they are trying to promote and grow, such as its parenting resources program and the Ohio Family and Children First Council, a planning body that focuses on assisting children with extraordinary needs.
"We obviously felt the center made a lot of sense in a child care one-stop shop source, but also as a places for outreach," he said.

The same is true for OU-C.

"One of the exciting things to me is the possibility it might provide more access to knowledge of higher education to people who might not be bound to higher education, parents and kids," Bebee said. Hopefully, the familiarity will help them become more comfortable with us, whether they would go to OU or somewhere else."

Students also will gain more exposure to children with special needs since the Ross County Board of MR/DD will locate therapy groups into the facility as well as preschool units of identified children in the fall.

"It can't be stressed enough how important that is. Unless you come to a place like Pioneer, you don't get the hands on (with students special needs)," said Dottie Fay, community information specialist at Pioneer. "Now, the hands-on will be available for a lot more people."

"By having students around MR/DD, they are bound to become better educated of these students," Bebee said. "It will help with them to develop an understanding and appreciation of these students."

Beginning in March, between 100 and 150 OU-C students taking part in early childhood education and nursing programs will begin meeting in two classrooms throughout day and evening courses.

"The early childhood students will be able to meet observation and student teaching requirements here," Leone said, adding the closeness to the school also will allow students to schedule an evening class easier while doing those practicums commitments.
Features

The center is designed in a circular pattern with wide hallways and a community area on one end - the David Meade Massie Trust Town Square - as well as a landscaped garden area housed outside in the center of the building. Playgrounds are located in fenced-in areas - still awaiting equipment - in three sections around the building with direct access from classrooms.
The Head Start classrooms are open, partitioned in the center with shared curtained bathrooms for toddlers and a common sink and storage area for teachers. There also is a nurses' area, full-service kitchen and a laundry room.

The facility also is secured, with a main entrance that opens onto a reception area and visitors must check-in before being buzzed into the facility.

"We have a real secured site ... to make sure only the properly authorized people have access to the students," Leone said.

A few of the Job and Family Services programs and the WeeCare Outreach program, the Walnut UMC program that offers support for students, parents and their children, will be accessible directly from the reception area.

"I was worried about the parents with the security, but they've been fine," Sanford said. "They love it."

Currently, there are four rooms that have yet been designated for use. Leone said there has been discussion about utilizing the space for infant care.