The Henderson Child Development Center (HCDC) Board is happy to announce Hillary Lee as the Director of the daycare center set to open this spring.
Lee comes to Henderson from Guymon Okla. where she was program director at the Texas County Family YMCA. During her time there, she worked with the aquatic program, leading in-service training, developing youth and adult sports programs, developed a new preschool program and did marketing for membership promotions, programs, and special events for the YMCA. She has a Bachelor of Science degree from Western Illinois University majoring in Recreation, Parks and Tourism Administration and a minor in Natural Resources and Conservation.
Lee will oversee the daycare under the direction of the HCDC Board, which consists of: Dot Quiring, Brad Janzen, Kori Lewis, Jen Hiebner, Kelsey Bergen and Hillary Veerhusen.
This daycare will operate as a licensed Home II Daycare, caring for up to 12 children ages 6 weeks to 12 years-old under the supervision of two staff members in the Grace Children’s Home Ranch House. While the HCDC committee recognizes the need for all types of child care are significant in the area, the HCDC Board is targeting their efforts to provide service to children needing full-time care year round.
While a specific start date for this spring has not been set, the board has been diligently working to move the licensing process along as quickly as possible and is excited to organize several ways the community can help this daycare starting at the Henderson Home Show.
On Saturday, February 25, the HCDC Board will be holding a pancake feed before the Home Show in the School Cafeteria from 7:30-9:00 am to raise start-up funds to hire and train staff before the daycare is open. Also at the Home Show, the committee will have a booth so you can meet the director and catch a snowflake with ideas of donation items needed. Many of the Home Show vendors will have items for sale that will be on the daycare’s wish list, so you can purchase them that day and donate even more back to the daycare as these vendors partner in the daycare’s fundraising efforts. The Henderson Home Show will also be the first day families can pick up Daycare Application Forms at the HCDC booth if they want to utilize the daycare. Forms can then be returned to City Hall the following week.
On March 3 & 4 there will be a pay-to-work day the Ranch House as volunteers pay the daycare for the amount of time they choose to help clean and prepare the house for children. This is purely an honors system for donations and jobs will consist of simple cleaning and organizing tasks. Sunday March 5, from 11:30 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., will be donation drop off day for like new books, toys, and daycare supplies (a list of needed supplies will be available at the Home Show) that are needed. Additional monetary donations can be made to the HCDC through the Henderson Community Foundation at PO Box 116, Henderson NE 68371.
The HCDC board is now looking to hire additional staff, so if you are an energetic person who likes structure and shaping the lives of children please email your resume to HendersonCDC@gmail.com. Both full-time and part-time positions are being offered. For more information on any of the above information, contact the Chamber Office at 402-723-4228.
