Fundraiser to extend life of child care facility

For the thousands of kids that have attended the South Whidbey Children’s Center over the years, returning as an adult can be a familiar experience.

“It’s impossible to walk through the building without feeling warm nostalgia — and craving a peanut butter ball,” said Gena Felton, who started going to the Children’s Center at the age of 15 months, around the time her parents bought the Star Store in Langley. Her 4-year-old son, Remy, is now enrolled.

Stories like these are not unusual for longtime South Whidbey residents who look forward to bringing their little ones to the exact same child care facility they went to themselves as kids.

Later this month, all alumni and curious community members are welcome to attend an open house 4-7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 21 at the Children’s Center, located at 120 Sixth Street in Langley. The free event, which is for adults only, offers snacks, drinks and other activities.

It also represents the start of a capital campaign to raise funds to increase the longevity of the building, which is due for some repairs.

Though its origin began in 1980, the nonprofit organization didn’t move to the building on Sixth Street – the former home of beloved kindergarten teacher Doris Wills-Kienholz – until the mid-80s. At the time, founder Mully Mullally said, people worried about too much noise coming to Langley.

“We actually get neighbors coming and thanking us for all the children’s laughter,” Executive Director Caitlyn Voss said.

Before the move, the organization rented rooms from what is known today as Island Senior Resources. Mullally, who was running a gas station in Clinton, was tapped because of her background in early childhood care.

The Children’s Center ended up selling a plot of land donated by the Waterman family to afford the down payment on the home in Langley, which has gone through several remodels since then. During one particularly memorable project, water flooded into the lower level of the structure.

“It’s kind of like ‘The Giving Tree,’” Mullally said. “It just kept giving and adapting.”

Today the home is divided into different sections for the three age groups – Stars (1 to 2.5 years old), Honey Bears (2.5 to 4 years) and Sunflowers (3.5 to 5.5 years).

“Lots of people who’ve gone through here have come back as teachers and definitely parents,” Mullally said, adding that the original group of parents from the ‘80s are now coming back as grandparents. She gave up her own role as director in 2006.

The focus has remained on a child-centered curriculum, with plenty of opportunities for play and most importantly, making messes.

When Felton picks her son up, she said, he is often covered in dirt from head to toe, which she takes as a sign of a great day of serious play.

Sonya Richards, a fellow alum, remembers her time at the Children’s Center in 1989 as a “magical” experience. Her 4-year-old daughter Ona, who is in the Sunflower program, said playing in the sandbox is her favorite activity.

Sonya can recall a time when a teacher took her aside and quietly helped her to calm down after an outburst. Mullally pointed to this incident as what sets the Children’s Center apart.

Voss, who became executive director in 2020, said a regular day can involve lots of conflict resolution. Teachers work to problem-solve with kids, sending them off into the world with those skills so they are ready for kindergarten.

Currently, 40% of families whose children attend the Children’s Center receive tuition assistance, so income does not present a barrier.

And the need for child care, especially for affordable programs, has been growing. Since Voss started, on average, it’s been about a two-year wait for families to enroll their children.

“We desperately need more facilities on the South End, in Island County,” she said.

Mullally wishes early childhood was valued more in American society.

“It should be underwritten in a culture where you really care about the quality of early childhood and you’re raising your future humans,” she said.

The Children’s Center is preparing to launch its first capital campaign since the early 2000s to raise money for costly repairs to a portion of the Honey Bear room. An old, unused deck will be removed from the top of the space and replaced with a new roof. Losing that amount of square footage, Voss said, could mean losing six spaces in the program.

Above all, the upcoming fundraising kickoff party is a chance to celebrate 44 years of the South Whidbey Children’s Center while in the company of Mullally, staff and alumni.

Visit swchildrenscenter.com for more information.