Infant Welfare Society of Evanston’s Baby Toddler Nursery Celebrates 50th Anniversary

The UIC Center of Excellence in Maternal and Child Health Blog highlights many of our student and alumni experiences and achievements. This month, we would like to recognize a local organization working to improve the lives of young children and their families. Executive Director of the Infant Welfare Society of Evanston (IWSE) Steve Vick, and Site Director for the Baby Toddler Nursery of IWSE, Pam Staples, sat down for an interview with us to discuss the long-term impact that their work has had in the community on the occasion of the Baby Toddler Nursery’s 50th anniversary.

IWSE opened in 1913 and has provided care and education to at-risk families of young children in a variety of ways, with a focus on clinical care in its earliest days. In 1971, IWSE opened the Baby Toddler Nursery, providing high quality early childhood education to children as young as six weeks old in the Evanston community. The Baby Toddler Nursery was the first infant toddler center in Illinois and has set a standard of excellence in the early childhood education space since its inception. In the subsequent fifty years, the Baby Toddler Nursery has been a leader in the state and the region for education and social development for children up to three years old and is National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accredited.

Pam and Steve shared that the Baby Toddler Nursery has a capacity for seventy children in eight classrooms which highlights the low teacher-child ratio. Pam elaborated that “it’s really important to have the [three staff-to-eight children] ratio to provide individualized, one-on-one focused attention for children.” Additionally, Steve and Pam noted that whether the family was enrolled through the program through Early Head Start or private pay, the children are placed in the same classrooms. Pam reiterated that it was critical for the children to be able to learn from one another, regardless of their socio-economic background.

Evidence-based practices are integrated throughout the program including health and developmental screenings, mental health support, and a curriculum grounded in evidence-based best practices. Pam indicated that within forty-five days of enrollment in the program, staff administer a developmental screening with the child and the parents. This process allows program staff to determine if children need additional support services and parents to intentionally observe their child’s behavior. Steve also noted that once screening has occurred, a multidisciplinary team review the data and provide recommendations.

According to Steve and Pam, IWSE has prioritized investing and supporting their staff to facilitate stability in their programs. By providing continuous professional development opportunities and a positive work culture, IWSE has a remarkably high retention rate. For example, one of the teachers in the Baby Toddler Nursery has served the organization for 47 years! The low staff turnover rate has important implications for consistency and social stability from the perspective of the children. Steve expressed that IWSE understands the importance of honoring early childhood professionals to create a positive and consistent environment in the classroom.

Many of the families served by the Baby Toddler Nursery are low income and have multiple complex needs. IWSE prides itself in “walking alongside families” during the crucial stages of development. Pam explained that the program empowers parents by engaging them directly in their child’s learning plan and giving them access to a wide referral network to meet other needs they may have. Steve expressed that trust is a key factor in building strong partnerships between staff, children, and families. Parents are engaged in regular parent-teacher conferences and home visits, and are encouraged to participate in their child’s developmental journey.

IWSE’s commitment to the children and families they support has been even more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Baby Toddler Nursery implemented innovative strategies to continue to support the children and families who rely on their services. Steve shared that early on in the pandemic, IWSE ran a biweekly emergency supply drive to distribute donations and cash gift cards to families and staff who were managing increased needs due to the lockdowns. Maintaining connections with the children has remained a top priority for IWSE staff, so IWSE started using a virtual learning platform for the children they serve.  They have since started building back capacity for in-person learning with strict health regulations to ensure the safety of staff and students. During our meeting with Steve and Pam, it was clear the degree to which IWSE’s services are central to the community. The resilience of the staff and families displayed during the pandemic is just one example of the essential role that IWSE has in making the Evanston community stronger for families.

For more information on the Infant Welfare Society of Evanston and ways to support their programs, please take a look at their website: https://www.iwse.org/.