Photo credit: Heather A. Davis
Kids who attended the Penn Children’s Center love to come back and visit even when they’ve moved on to elementary school, says Natalie Subeh, whether it’s to pick up a younger sibling from the school or to attend the Snow Day Child Care program. “When you come through, you really don’t leave,” says Subeh, the Center’s Executive Director. “There’s still that connection.”
Making and fostering connections is a big part of what Subeh does each day. She reassures nervous new parents that their child will be just fine, while ensuring that her staff has access to the proper training they need to stay up-to-date on the issues in modern child care. Along the way, Subeh manages the budget and even occasionally jumps into the kitchen to help get snacks ready for hungry youngsters.
In total, she’s responsible for the care of 156 children, from infants to pre-schoolers, a staff of 24 full-time staffers, and a host of part-time ones. She has helped to oversee an expansion of the Center, which created more classrooms and play areas for kids. “I think that’s one thing that I love about my job,” she says. “You get to wear so many different hats. You’re working on the budget and you say to yourself, ‘You know what, I need to go and just get a hug!’”
Q. What’s the mission and purpose of the Center?
A. To provide high-quality child care. I think that we have a unique role because we fit into what the University’s goals are. We’re providing child care to a lot of staff so those staff can go out and do their jobs and do great things for the University. Our philosophy is that children are active learners, that children learn by doing. [We take] advantage of the fact that we’re here on campus and the resources that we have to us. We’re down the road from the Ice Rink, so we do an ice skating program. We visit the museums, the Bookstore. My preschoolers [went to a] reading and they actually met the author. It was so exciting for them. We have parents that will make connections with us at the different labs they work in.
Q. What’s an average day like for you?
A. There’s always being here for parents. That’s what my job is—to be here and to listen to you if you have any concerns, just managing to make sure that we’re meeting the standards. There are so many expectations from the community, from parents. We’re accredited through NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) and Keystone STARS, and they’re always raising the standards. The challenge is we’ve got to make sure that we’re meeting that. At the end of the day, I think, ‘Wow what a day! Who would have thought I would be doing this today.’
Q. How did you get into child care?
A. I was doing graduate work [in Social Work] at Rutgers and I took a part-time job at a YMCA. I started there and I was really surprised. I thought, ‘I’m just going to go in here and be a schoolteacher in the public school.’ But I loved [child care]. I was in classrooms with kids and working with families, and it just kind of came together. The director was pregnant with her third child and said, ‘Natalie, this is supposed to be a part-time job—you’ve got your degree, consider it.’ After I graduated I thought, ‘Okay, I can do this.’ It was an opportunity to work with families, with children and with the teachers.
Q. What do you tell new parents who may be nervous to leave their child for the first time?
A. It’s on an individual basis. Everyone has a different need. You just need to be comfortable that the people know the kids’ names, that the kids look happy. I can sit here and I can go through and tell you that we have an accreditation in this—and that is all very important—but are the people happy with what they’re doing?
I think it’s really important when children come in, they have a sense of the community throughout the whole Center. They spend a good deal of time here and you want them to be comfortable here.
Q. I know there’s a waiting list here. How long is it?
A. It is an extensive waiting list. The expansion [was] to try to address the need, and I think we did [that]. The additional space has helped reduce the average waiting list period. At one point, we were telling people it was an 18 to 24 month wait, and now it’s 9 to 12 months. It’s such a great feeling when I know that today, on my to-do list, I’m going to make three offers and when I make that offer, I’ve made their day.
Q. What’s changed in child care over the years?
A. The way people view the profession. The training of teachers really has changed. You never really heard of a [child development association] credential before—you see more of that.
With all day-kindergarten programs and pre-K readiness and No Child Left Behind, I think that’s affecting the younger age group. People thought it was just nursery school, but preschool really makes a difference for a child’s success. Before, parents used to come in and say, ‘I heard good things about you, they have a nice playground and let’s get the kids outside.’ Now it’s, ‘Okay, what are you doing to prepare my child for kindergarten?’
Q. How do you help get the kids—and parents—get ready for kindergarten?
A. We identify which children are going to be eligible for kindergarten. We involve teachers, we have an open house, a question-and-answer. Then we invite parents that in the past years have survived the process and they answer questions. I think it’s a starting point for parents so they’re not so overwhelmed by the process.
Originally published Feb. 21, 2008
