EARLY EDUCATION AND CARE, INC.

Early Education and Care, Inc. believes in the optimum development and educational success for all children. This is why, back in 1972, the Bay County Day Care Center, Inc. opened to provide quality child care services to disadvantaged preschoolers, originally serving 20 children. In 1976, the organization became an official agency of the United Way, allowing steadier funding for expansion and program support.

A new role was set for the organization when it was asked to serve as a central agency by the District Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services to administer child care subsidy dollars. This role not only charged us to sub-contract with area child care centers for placing low-income children, but also expanded services to six surrounding counties located in the sub-district. This change spurred a change in philosophy, direction and name: Bay County Community-Coordinated Child Care Council, Inc. (1979).

In 1983, the agency received a federal grant to serve 60 children during the school year through the Head Start program and more children a year later through directly operated and sub-contracted centers. The Panama City Housing Authority, who provides low-income housing to the residents of Panama City, renovated its facilities in 1985, including the addition of a child care facility. We were asked to operate the child care program, Massalina Child Care Center, housing our Head Start center, in the public housing units on 15th Street.

Child abuse was headlined in 1985 citing incidents in child care centers, one particularly because of an undetected criminal record of a child care worker. The intense media attention brought action to the State Legislature who passed legislation requiring criminal background screenings, Child Abuse Registry clearances, fingerprinting and 20 hours of training for child care center staff. As a result, the agency became the training coordinating agency for the coordination and provision of training for child care workers in our area in 1986. Our current role is to coordinate training in 14 counties in District 2 working with all educational institutions in its provision.