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Monday, Sep. 29, 2008

Kid stuff: Day-care dream a hit in Forsyth

FORSYTH -- All day long, Connie Roberts is surrounded by young children.

There's always a diaper to be changed, or a baby wanting a bottle or another one needing rocking.

There's always a toddler needing a shoe tied, or a nose wiped or help learning to potty.

There's always a 3-year-old wanting someone to pull them in a wagon, or teach them their colors or remind them to wash their hands before lunch.

There's always an after-schooler wanting help with homework, or permission to use the computer or help finding their books when it's time to go home.

All day long, there are tears and laughter and somebody needing something.

And Connie Roberts loves it.

Her dream of having her own day-care center has come true.

"I love children. I'm 43, but I have the heart of a 3-year-old," she said.

Roberts opened her Bright Beginnings Enriched Early Learning Center in June after five long years of planning, securing funding, designing a building, finding land, building the center, hiring staff, becoming licensed and signing up families.

"This has been my dream for a while. There were times during the process it seemed more like a nightmare, like two weeks before our licensing inspection when they were testing the sprinkler system and one of the rooms was flooded. But all in all, it has been wonderful getting this going."

Teaching and caring for children has long been her goal.

"I grew up, went to college to be a teacher, got married and we had a son. I was fortunate to be able to stay home with him for 11 years and volunteer at school, be class mom, go on all the field trips and do all those things."

In 2001, she finally put her teaching skills to work outside the home, going back to her alma mater, Monroe Academy, to help start a 3K program.

"That's where the idea for a day care began. The parents kept saying they wished there were more opportunities in Forsyth," she said.

Five years ago, she left the school to begin working toward opening one.

"I went to the Forsyth-Monroe County Chamber of Commerce for advice, and I wound up working for them for several years while I searched for land."

In May 2007, she finally found the lot she wanted, about four miles south of downtown Forsyth on U.S. 41. A few months later, she quit her job to concentrate all her energies on getting the day-care center built and opened.

"We had so many friends and family members helping us. My husband, John, and son, John Edward, were here all hours getting things ready. It was a lot of work but also a lot of fun."

Now, she has a staff of 22 taking care of the 99 children enrolled.

"We already have waiting lists for several age groups. I've been very pleased with the response from the community," she said.

The only drawback of being in charge of the entire operation is she can't spend all day teaching, rocking, feeding and changing the little ones.

"But I'm going to change that a little," she said. "I'm in and out of the different rooms all day long, but I don't get to stay anywhere for long. So I've decided I'm going to have lunch with a different age group every day and read them a book. That'll be my quality time."

Readers with ideas for Mainstreets and Backroads articles from their community should call Chuck Thompson at (478) 744-4489.