Welcome Volunteers!

by Kathryn Urick

Published Wednesday August 31, 1988

Elder Teller

Childcare is much on everyone’s mind these days. The American family has changed greatly in the last 3 years. Today, almost all single mothers are single parent householders and most of these single parents work outside the home, bringing home the bacon. Twenty-three percent of American children, over fourteen million, live in these households. According to the children’s Defense Fund (Washington Spectator) more than seventy-five percent of school-age children, or 34.4 million children, will have mothers who work.

Captain Kangaroo, a well-known child advocate says, “With these changed family structures so well known, it makes one wonder about our society’s priorities; that, at a time when we have more latchkey children than in Dickensian London, we chose to curtain programs for the daycare of young children. INSANITY! Children are in critical need of our advocacy. My remarks concern the garden of childhood where we plan the seeds of love and the seeds of misery, ,a garden whose harvest we all share, for good or evil … small children need big friends.”

The City of Ames response of interest and attention to the subject of childcare bodes well for the future needs of children in this community and nation. With much thought and planning, and not without opposition, “KID CARE … at the Magic Cave, “ will open on Monday, August 29, at Roosevelt School. Under the direction of Sue Wuhs, this pilot project, a before and after school program for school-age kids, will be in session until June 2, 1989, a full school year.

Interested seniors, YOU CAN BE INVOLVED in the nurture and care of this garden. Director Wuhs welcomes volunteers to the new childcare. She explains that they can be used in many ways, such as to practice speech, to tutor an older child with math cards, help with spelling, be an extra lap, and to read stories. The amount of time spent by the volunteer can vary from once a week to once a month.

Something magical happens when the old and young get together, and if you’re having doubts as to qualifications, listen to these words of Albert Camus, who once said, “What does it matter what you lack, when what you have it not used up?! Working with children is most rewarding and you will soon realize that this is something “I” can do; perhaps “I” can make a different; maybe “I” can help keep a child from falling through the cracks academically; a definite plus for your self-esteem, to say nothing of the child’s self-esteem …. it will soar with your help!