CHILD CARE ISSUES; SPECIAL PANEL ZEROES IN ON IMPROVING SERVICES

Tonya Merritt finds it difficult to define the work of a statewide commission studying ways to improve child care and education.

That is because the commission has a broad task, said Merritt, who serves on the 28-member board.

Merritt owns and operates A Step At a Time Preschool, 1003 Perry.

The commission includes educators, private-foundation members, business and religious leaders, child advocates, legislators, directors of state departments and children's organizations and private citizens.

Gov. Mel Carnahan appointed the Missouri Governor's Commission on Early Childhood Care and Education to recommend ways to improve the care and education of children up to age 5.

"We want to ensure that in the first years of every Missourian's life, when each child reaches those crucial crossroads of development, our parents, our care-givers, our schools and our communities are there to guide that child down the right path," the governor said in forming the commission in June.

The commission is scheduled to meet today in St. Louis. It is slated to issue its report to the governor by the end of the year.

Merritt said one of the commission's roles is to educate parents about their preschool options. The overall goal is to better prepare children for school, she said.

As part of that, the commission will look at ways to better coordinate existing state services in the area of child care.

Carnahan has asked the commission to identify and encourage the best practices and highest standards of quality child care. In a speech at the initial meeting of the commission on June 20, Carnahan said his administration is interested in possible ways schools can provide or support day-care operations.

Merritt said she sees school-linked day-care centers as an option in urban areas. She said such programs particularly could help care for the children of mothers who are moving from welfare to work.

But Merritt questioned if it would work in rural areas where families often live far from schools.

She said there is a need in Cape Girardeau and statewide for more day-care facilities that offer infant care. Many don't take children under 2. "It is a desperate need," Merritt said.

Also, the state lacks overnight or weekend child care, she said.

Merritt's day-care center has a class for 2-year-olds. Its preschool program puts children 3, 4 and 5 together in the classroom.

Traditionally, most centers care for and educate children by age group, she said.

But Merritt said there is a benefit to letting children of different ages learn together. "It gives the older children a chance to nurture the younger ones," she said. In turn, that helps boost self esteem of the older children, Merritt said.

The day-care center focuses on three areas: science and math, art, and language arts. Children may have a 40-minute session on science and math one day; the next day they may focus on art.

Children are allowed to develop at their own pace and in a less-structured environment that allows students to learn through group play.

"Our whole program is built on high self esteem," she said. "A lot of learning is done through play at this age."

Merritt's day-care center cares for eight 2-year-olds and two groups of a dozen each in preschool.

The preschool programming occurs during the morning, with more recreational activities scheduled for the afternoon.

The center also cares for about 15 students in its after-school program.

"I advocate small schools with multiple sites," Merritt said.

She said lawmakers want good child care in the state. "I think it is a priority in everybody's heart." But Merritt said it tends to take a back seat when it comes to funding priorities.