They are the best. The Carnegie Corp. echoed this judgment in a 1996 report on the importance of children's early years. In speech after speech, top staffers of the Children's Defense Fund, the pre-eminent advocates for poor children, have cited the superb system on military bases as a national model. And now the President and Mrs. Clinton, once a CDF board member, are saying that every family deserves the kind of child-care support the military provides its own. Eighty percent are from families with both parents in the military.
Every age group has a section, filled with toys, books, learning materials and art supplies.
In Room 8, reserved for infants, four babies were sleeping in large cribs. Valerie Griffin, the center director, pointed out that the cribs were on wheels, ready to be rolled out an exit in case of an emergency. Two toddlers were exploring the room, supervised by two women sitting on the floor. We also have two curriculum specialists in the building who oversee classes and training. The rest of the staff, which included one male, were in the process of acquiring credentials, which usually takes 18 months to two years.