Preschool care is a concern

For many working parents, one of the biggest concerns is care for preschool-age children. Costs can be high, and parents can worry that quality isn't consistent.

Sandra Gomez, single mother of 5-year-old Camilo, never has to worry about her son's day care. For a low cost, based on income, Camilo attends child care at the Nevada Association of Latin American's day care on Maryland Parkway.

Camilo, who enjoys the social interaction of the school, also enjoys math and art. His mother hopes to apply to magnet schools before Camilo's starts first grade.

"It is very important to us," Gomez said. "NALA is very special -- the teachers, the location," Gomez said.

The young mother, who works as a housekeeper during the week, says her son has asked to go to his day care on her days off.

That comes as no surprise to Sherry Eason, who has been director at the NALA day care for 18 years. Eason, who said the success of her program is measured in the amount of family referrals, "graduate" visits (school-age children who visit during their school breaks), and loyal staff members the center retains. The tranquility of the hallways during nap time, a more sensitive measure of how at peace the children feel at the center, is testimony to Eason's regimen of predictable schedules, attentive teachers, and home-cooked meals.

The NALA day care is like many others -- open 12 hours, offering meals and snacks, an age-appropriate curriculum (designed by Sandra Henderson, a supervisor at NALA), toys for free play time, generous caregivers -- but it varies in one critical area: language. The NALA day care is bilingual. Although most children who enter the school speak Spanish at home, caregivers are encouraged to use English. The result? A day care full of 240 bilingual children, who in many cases are more comfortable with English than their parents.

Lupe Hernandez, a teacher at NALA for 22 years, said the bilingual education is one of the best components of the center. Her own grandchildren, now 9, 8 and 6, attended NALA day care in their younger years.

The Nevada Association of Latin Americans has operated in the valley for 32 years. It began as a social service agency, but expanded to child care in 1979. The organization currently includes a senior center, HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness programs, and information and support services for individuals and families in crisis. The child care division of the organization is full with children on a waiting list.

Eason, who would like to open a center in Henderson in the near future said, "We have been able to accommodate everyone (children waiting to enroll) so far."

The center was recently named Nevada Power's "Christmas in April" award recipient. The award, which includes support to the organization in the form of renovations and upgrades to the building, is offered annually and customized to needs of the recipients. For NALA this will mean painting, new heating and cooling units, energy audits, kitchen lighting, remodeling of a television room, and a restocking of the food pantry.

The NALA day care is supported by family tuition (about $45 to $65 a week), and funding from the city of Las Vegas and United Way. The United Way grant pays for a tuition scholarship for 50 families to bring their children. "For those families, the United Way grant is everything," said center director Eason.

Many parents find success through the doors of the NALA day care. Lupe Melgarejo used to take her three children ages 2, 3 and 4 on the bus to work as a teacher at NALA. Now the Information and Support Services Director, Melgarejo is often the first person new parents speak to when getting information about child care. Word of mouth is their best advertising, Melgarejo said. She added work and extended family networks bring many inquiries to her desk.

Eason has found great satisfaction in her role as director at NALA. When her husband, an Air Force master sergeant, got orders to leave Las Vegas, the couple decided to stay. "He would have gotten another stripe if we moved, but he supports what I do."

Eason's goals -- to bring a kindergarten to her Maryland Parkway center and to open a center in Henderson -- may come to fruition if funding and space are available.

If you ask Sandra Gomez the most important goal for NALA in the near future is to get a street closed for the carnival scheduled for May 26. The fund-raising event needs approval from the city to get the street closed for a block party atmosphere.

No matter where the event is held, the families of 240 enthusiastic bilingual preschoolers will probably attend. After all, the service NALA offers allows them peace of mind while earning a living.

For more information about services at the Nevada Association of Latin Americans, call 382-6252. For information about other programs funded in the Nurturing Early Childhood Development category by the United Way, call 734-CARE.