Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/pentagon-child-development-center-washington-dc/5015249/
When you're visiting the Pentagon Child Development Center operated by Children's World Learning Centers, you're not visiting a typical child care setting. At this center you pass by military police when you enter the building, and security cameras monitor classrooms and playgrounds. The location cannot be disclosed to the general public. All of this is a haunting reminder of what the staff and families at this center went through nearly two years ago during the terrorist attack on the Pentagon. So how does a child care center rebuild an atmosphere of trust and safety and make families want to enroll their children? You have Shirley Allen as your center director, that's how.A member of a military family herself, Shirley understands the anxieties of her families and staff. "We're working on getting back to the way we were before 9/11," said Shirley. "The teachers, parents, and kids are going on with day-to-day activities without the worry of something happening." Through her own dedication to this center, and, more importantly, her own dedication to children, Shirley has amazingly restored a sense of calm, safety, well-being, and trust to this center. In fact, after touring the center and sitting in Shirley's office, we ...