Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, September 30, 1995 TAG: 9510020020
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: LISA APPLEGATE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
Children's Nest Preschool and Day Care Center is fully operational and ready to serve 122 children ages 6 weeks to 12 years old.
Gulben Esen, Mount Tabor's former director, owns the center with four sets of parents. Esen said she never expected to run her own business.
"I've learned a lot. We all have. There's some of us in every part of this building," she said.
In September 1993, the board of Mount Tabor Church voted to include three hours of optional religious instruction each week in the curriculum. Parents took at least 85 of the 129 children enrolled in Mount Tabor out of the center and a majority of the staff resigned.
Esen said it wasn't the religious lessons that angered people, but the fact that the board failed to discuss the matter until after it made its decision.
Mount Tabor continued to operate its day-care center at the church. After the children withdrew, the board made the religious instruction a mandatory part of the curriculum.
Meanwhile, Children's Nest is focusing on what the owners say is a more open curriculum.
"We're going to explore different cultures, different religions, different people so that when they get into the real world, they won't be shocked," explained program director Susan Jones.
That's essential for the Blacksburg community, where Virginia Tech draws students and staff from around the globe, she said.
Co-owner Dan Dolan, who withdrew 4-year-old Stefan from Mount Tabor, said that's a philosophy he couldn't have found in his son's old preschool.
"Most prejudice stems from nonexperience," Dolan said. Exposing children to as many different types of class and race is the only way to end bias.
Located in the secluded, one-way section of Draper Road, Children's Nest offers two playgrounds and lots of open lawn. Children are assigned to rooms according to age, with a large open space for after-school programs.
The building, abandoned for several years, had to be gutted inside. The owners, along with their families and friends, dedicated weekends and nights to bringing the facility up to standards.
Esen said she received some start-up money from the Small Business Development Center; another $500,000 came from bank loans.
Starting a business is a big risk, the owners admit. But they're not dedicated to Children's Nest for the money.
"We know how important it is to have your children, not only in a safe environment," co-owner Ava Howard said, "but that there are people there who love your children."
About 30 children are already enrolled in the center, many of whom used to attend Mount Tabor. Five of Esen's staff members also followed her to Children's Nest.
That kind of loyalty, said co-owner Suzie Jackson, stems from Esen's 10 years' experience and her love of children.
"My girls have known her since they were tiny. They love her," she said.
Children's Nest, at 1155 Draper Road, will hold an open house Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Parents can tour the facility and register their children for Monday classes.
by CNB