Statements
Mission
To provide a safe, inclusive teaching and learning environment that fosters and nurtures the growth and development of each child. To help each child develop the confidence and competence to function in the world of the future by developing tools necessary to acknowledge, understand, accept, value, and celebrate themselves, others and the world. To involve families so that together we can provide the best possible experience for each child and family.
Background
Blakemore Children's Center, originally named the Mattye Jones Child Care Center, opened in August 1976. It was begun as a community service by Blakemore United Methodist Church and as such does not discriminate on the basis of race, age, economics or religious beliefs. The Board of Directors made up of church members, families of children enrolled, community volunteers and the center director oversees its operation. Originally BCC served ten three-year-old and fifteen four and five-year-old children in a traditional preschool setting. Hot lunches were provided to children of full-time working parents in a home-like atmosphere. Upon retirement of the original director in 1995, the center experienced dramatic decreases in enrollment. Financial restraints forced the end of hot lunches and threatened closure of the center until the current director, Bonnie Spear, was hired in 1997. Today the program has grown from an enrollment of nine typically developing children in 1997 to its current enrollment of 49 children typically and atypically developing 6 weeks-5 years. Enrollment is open to include children with diagnosed special needs. The children enrolled represent a variety of ethnicities, family structures, religions and special needs. Because of our easy access to I-440, we serve a wide geographical area of Davidson and surrounding counties. Again, all children receive full-time care and appropriate learning experiences with hot breakfasts and lunches provided, in a setting that reflects the diversity of the real world. BCC is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and has a 3-star rating, the highest possible, from the Tennessee Department of Human Services. Learn more about BCC at www.blakemorechildren.org.
Impact
Most significant goals for the current year: 1. The children served, including our most vulnerable, will be ready to succeed at home, school and in the community. 2. The children served, both typically developing and those with special needs, will learn and grow in a universally accessible environment. 3. Financial assistance will enable children to attend BCC who otherwise would be unable to do so. 4. Our most vulnerable children include some who have been asked to leave previous early childhood programs because of behavior issues. Significant Accomplishments for the past year: 1. Feedback from families reported that children who exited BCC were successful at home, school and community. 2. Children with special needs who had been successful at BCC were also successful when fully included in public school kindergarten. 3. Understanding the benefits of quality early education, the BCC director and staff, with the support of families, became a founding member of the TN Reggio Study Group. This group of educators recognized the benefits of the collaborative learning philosophy developed in Reggio Emilia, Italy. Recognizing that all, children and adults, are learners and teachers, our emergent curriculum is based on the interests of the children. All basic skills needed for school and life success are embedded in this curriculum. Children are able to learn in ways that meet their own unique needs. Using this philosophy, we have extended children's learning into the community by partnering with the Nashville Public Library in 2014, the Nashville Fire Department in 2015, and the Farmer's Market for 2016. Please visit our website at www.blakemorechildren.org for more information.
Needs
Blakemore Children's Center welcomes volunteers and greatly appreciates the contributions they make to the success of our program. Please visit our website for more information on volunteering opportunities. In addition, our greatest need is to be able to continue to provide scholarship assistance to families whose children would otherwise be unable to attend BCC. We have begun looking at the physical needs of our space. This includes the need for three new exit doors, additional shade covers for our playgrounds and development of our outside learning environments.
CEO Statement
A unique feature of BCC is its location in a house, in a residential neighborhood. This gives the children an opportunity to be a part of the community by taking walks through the neighborhood, meeting the neighbors, visiting the local park and fire station. The house is used in its entirety for learning experiences. For example, the sunroom functions as an art studio. There is a separate dining room where the children eat family-style meals and practice good table manners while developing their social skills. BCC serves as a student teaching placement and practicum site for early childhood education students from Tennessee State, Trevecca Nazarene, Belmont and Vanderbilt Universities, as well as students from Nashville State Community College and the Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA). BCC provides service-learning opportunities for high school students from Harpeth Hall School, University School, St. Cecelia Academy, Overbrook School, and volunteers from Hands on Nashville. The guiding philosopy of BCC is that every child is a unique individual with differing strengths and abilities. Our goal is to provide each child with experiences that will cultivate a love of learning and equip the child with the necessary social, emotional and cognitive skills to be a productive member of the community. BCC is a community of families and staff. Through our daily interactions, children learn about each other and the staff, We celebrate each other's holidays and customs. Children leave BCC with an understanding of empathy for others. Families report that their children are kind to those they encounter who have disabilities or are different from them in some way because of the experiences they had at BCC. They reach out a hand of friendship to children others may shy away from. Please visit our website at www.blakemorechildren.org.
Service Categories |
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| Primary Category: | Human Services - Child Day Care |
| Secondary Category: | Human Services - Centers to Support the Independence of Specific Populations |
| Tertiary Category: | - |
Areas Served
Because of our easy access to I-440, BCC serves Davidson and the surrounding counties. Parents prefer to have their children in programs near their place of employment. In this way, they are able to join children for lunch and participate in center activities.
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Sumner |
