Why Do Directors Decide to Stay?

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In 1974 I began my work in Early Care and Education in the Migrant Child Care Programs in Michigan. I remember working from 6:00 AM to 6:30 PM, Monday-Saturdays. The migrant children didn't come in with their parents; their parents were already working in the fields. The migrant camp buses brought all 26 preschool children and 10 infants all at once! On Saturday we had all of the children of the migrant camps at the program, as this provided opportunities for the parents to go into town, shop for food, and get away from the work week.

So what was interesting, meaningful, and relevant about that work for me as a young college graduate, as a teacher, and assisting director? It was the children, the staff, the "family sense" that we built over the six months the camps were open. We even designed a health clinic on Wednesday nights with area pediatricians, ...