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Child Care Center
Mission Statement
The First Presbyterian Child Care Center is a mission of the First Presbyterian Church of Bismarck, North Dakota. It exists to provide safe, loving care for infants and toddlers in a climate of racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic diversity. We strive to provide a creative, nurturing, and stimulating environment in which to learn and grow. Our licensed, non-profit infant-toddler child care center welcomes families from a variety of racial ethnic backgrounds and families who may need financial assistance in order to enroll their children.
For more information call 258-7490 or
email Shawn Stettner, director, at shawns@fpcbismarck.com.
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History of the Child Care Center
In the mid-1980s, longtime members of First Presbyterian Church Dan and Mardy Chapman saw Sunday School classrooms remaining empty during the week and had a dream that they could somehow be used to help families in need.
Fast forward ten years to the 1990s and the Outreach Committee's search for a church mission that met a community need. The two ideas intersected when Paul Ronningen drew attention to the need in Bismarck for affordable, quality infant and toddler care. The classrooms could be filled during the week with a child care center fulfilling a church mission.
With the direction and guidance of Pastors Mark Bayert and Glenn Ramsey, that dream did come true. A Child Care Board was created with Glenn Ramsey, Kathy Henriksen, Bertie Bishop, Kim Hocking, Paul Ronningen, Judy Ruzicka, and Paul Sandness,chairperson, serving as the original members. The Child Care Center was begun with a start up fund from the Memorial and Endowment Committee along with financial gifts from members of the congregation.
A director, Shawn Stettner, was hired on June 15, 1995, and she began the work of preparation to ready the center for operation. The First Presbyterian Child Care Center was officially opened on August 1, 1995, as part of the church's outreach and mission work.
The center assists families of all income levels while its primary focus is to assist the less fortunate in the community.
Personal Mission
The Child Care Center provides opportunities for all church members actively to volunteer in whatever manner is appropriate for them. Financial gifts, gifts of supplies, such as paper or cleaning products, toys, books, and the gift of time are received with enthusiasm.
The center has been the recipient of carpentry skills provided by church member Ron Barks. Searles Hornstein shared his knowledge of the computer with the director, Shawn Stettner. Carolyn Barks gavet hand knitted hooded sweatersto infants. Jan Reynolds read to the children every week for several years. Jan Daley provided the center with the gift of time and her singing talents as she comforted crying babies. Matt Emerson assembled furniture for the grand opening of the center. Alberta McQueen helped with lunch time. Grace Hoge repaired crib and cot sheets and sewed bibs for the center. Delton and Leila Bender honored their granddaughter, Colby, by creating a memorial for the center. And who can forget Paul Owens,who was challenged by one of Pastor Jeannette Hickman's sermons to become a Child Care Center Board member extraordinaire? He gave the center his leadership talents and left the staff with memories of his dressing up as the Easter Bunny, complete with the delivery of baskets of Easter treats.
Members of the congregation who have been strong advocates for the Child Care Center provided a $100,000 matching challenge grant to establish a foundation for the center in May 2006. This campaign met with incredible success through the support of the congregation and community members.
The Child Care Center provides each member of the congregation the opportunity to make the center his or her personal mission in sharing gifts and talents.
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