Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/meet-cover-director-rita-boatman-ymca-child-care-services-fargo-north-dakota/5010887/
"I was a fish," said the painter.In 1960, long before Head Start had opened its doors, long before KinderCare had built its first center, the Fargo YMCA launched Kinder Kamp Preschool. Children attending this program were divided into groups - butterflies, turtles, and fish. Over the years, this small preschool has expanded into a multi-faceted child care service, but the group names live on.
One day last summer, Rita Boatman was relaxing at home wearing a Kinder Kamp T-shirt with the group logos. The man painting her house saw the shirt and informed her that 30 years before he had been a fish at Kinder Kamp. Rita was amazed at the deep roots her program had in the community.
Today, YMCA Child Care Services provides a wide range of services to meet the needs of over 1,800 families. In addition to Kinder Kamp, the Y now operates Wise World, a full day child care pro-gram for three to five year olds; MASH (Magnificent After School Hours), a before and after school program; Playroom, a drop-in program; Busy Beaver, a summer camp for preschoolers; and a host of craft and play activity events for children and families.
In the mid ...