executive director For approximately 17 years the Day Nursery has been under the direction of Catherine Hart, M.Ed., an experienced and well-respected administrator in early-childhood education. teaching staff All Day Nursery teaching staff are required to have at least 60 semester hour of college credits with 6 hours related directly to child development and least 1 year of teaching experience. The Day Nursery also employs a part-time social worker to provide families with social services when necessary, to coordinate the parent education aspect of the program, and to introduce children and families to the program to guarantee a fulfilling experience. special certifications The Day Nursery employs two full-time teachers with an Illinois State Type 04 Certification who assess all children who are three years old, to identify those who may be at-risk for future academic failure and then provides the necessary curriculum and resources to make sure these children are successful. staff retention The Day Nursery employs a total of 23 full and part-time staff members. The Day Nursery provides a competitive wage, offers health, dental and eye insurance, and offers a college tuition reimbursement program to attract and retain high quality individuals. The Day Nursery is proud that most of its employees have worked for the agency for many years, well above the industry average of approximately 3 years.