A place for toddlers, waddlers

Published 5:00 am Saturday, September 21, 2002

The Parent and Child Center has them rolling on the floor.

Now in its sixth year, the Helpline House program in Commodore Center promotes parent-child interaction at the kid level.

The parents who drop into the center are usually glad to get down with the wee ones.

“We really like to encourage that parent-child contact,” new director Jennifer Canning said. “This is an environment that allows parents to play with kids.”

The converted classroom on the north side of the building is cheerful and bright.

Areas for reading, tables for art, and clusters of couches and comfy chairs for parents to socialize divide the space.

Wednesday’s playgroup of nine “waddlers” – kids 1 to 2 years old – are practicing their new-found mobility, and the space is large enough.

“It’s an ‘Andrew day,’” PCC program assistant Marcy Daley said. “We’ve had four Andrews here.”

The center often hosts a dozen or more children on any given day.

Any parent of a 6-and-under may access the center, but Daley notes that different age groups attend on different days.

Mondays is reserved for 3 and under, Tuesdays for ages 3 to 6 but Wednesdays brings 1- to 2-year-olds to PCC.

Mary Linford, who often visits the center, chases smiling 1-year-old Joey Linford-Combs. The island mom has been coming to the center since her son was 3 weeks old.

“It’s a way for him to socialize,” Linford said.

“And for me, too, because I moved back from Seattle not knowing anyone, and this is a way to meet other moms.”

Helping hands

The pleasant informality of the PCC drop-in groups is augmented by structured support for children and parents that includes parenting classes, a lending library and counseling.

Screening by a social worker trained to identify developmental issues in babies and young children is a new service recently added that helps parents seek intervention for their children earlier than the public schools’ pre-school screening.

The number of individual families PCC serves has grown more than 10 percent since 1996, the first year of operation.

But increases in services mean budget increases, Canning said. In the first four months of 2002, the center served 192 families.

Utility and maintenance costs have also contributed to increases in the annual budget of $40,000. Canning said the program must look for funds.

Once a program is past its start-up phase, Canning said, “grants are far and few between.”

PCC, by providing a social center, keeps families from the isolation that may contribute to social ills that may include child abuse and depression Canning says.

“If I had one wish, it would be to keep the program free,” Canning said. “We would use a sliding scale, so that we don’t prevent anyone from coming – but I hope we won’t have to charge at all.”

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Upcoming events at the Parent and Child Center include: preschool art, Oct. 8; Children’s Day celebration, Oct. 11; infant massage, Oct. 17; “When Do I Take My Toddler to the ER” workshop, TBA. Call 780-1856 for information or email hlpcc@bainbridge.net.