#reopenclc Reconsider the PERMANENT closing of the Children’s Learning Center

I took classes here as a student at HCC and the ability to observe and practice lessons is a huge asset to the early education courses

The children’s learning center is needed. It is a place that benefits many people!

As a local in home Childcare provider seeing so many wonderful places for children closing at this time is very worrying. How is Maryland going to get back to work if there isn't a safe place for these children to attend. Please save the school!

It is an amazing center. Valuing our children today means a brighter and better future for tomorrow.

I am so sad to see they are closing the Children Learning Center. I planned on having my son go there. Please reconsider.

Please keep CLC open!!

Early childhood education is imperative to start children in their education.

The Children’s Learning Center was an integral part of my education as an Early Childhood Education major at HCC. The Center allowed me to get the crucial first-hand experience in observing and working with children needed to become a quality educator. The skills I gained working at this center have given me a competitive advantage in the field of teaching. During my time at HCC, I was also a work study employee (teacher’s aide). I will never forget the experiences and long-lasting friendships I made working here. The children I had the pleasure of working with genuinely changed my life for the better. I got to watch many of them grow and development into bright young members of society. I’ve watched them thrive socially, emotionally, and academically. Although I was the teacher’s aide, I feel I’ve learned a lot more from the children during my time at the center. Please reconsider its closing, as it is essential to the education program, and it is one of the reasons HCC is a competitive college. Most importantly, the center fosters a high-quality learning environment that has a significant impact on the development of young children (infants-preschoolers). Thank you.

I was devastated by this decision. I absolutely loved being the assistant director of the CLC for the last 2 1/2 years

My grandchildren loved going to daycare at CLC. They transferred from another daycare and we were worried about the adjustment but they really loved it.

HCC's action, considered in secret and sprung on unsuspecting staff and parents mid-pandemic, reflects poorly on its commitment to the surrounding community that sustains it. In turn, some of us in this community will now be far less inclined to view the college as worth sustaining. The financial justification for the closure is nonsensical when viewed in light of the incalculable value of this excellent school -- one of a small group of MSDE-accredited centers in the county -- to HCC's own early childhood education program (now severely weakened), its own faculty and staff, and the community. The CLC's operating budget is a tiny fraction of the college's operating budget; the so-called "deficit" it runs -- used as a pretext for the decision -- is a minor line item on it balance sheet; and the amount is surely much smaller than the "deficits" run by many larger parts of this public, non-profit institution. In other words, the negligible savings the college will now enjoy hardly matches up with the devastating impact this closure makes immediately and in the future. But the reason for the outpouring reflected in the comments to this petition stems not merely from the many strong arguments against the decision but from how special the CLC is, from its superior administrators, to its caring and professional staff, to the work-study students there to help. Sending our son to the CLC -- he was there as a baby and is now on his way to kindergarten -- was perhaps the best and most important decision we made for him in his young life. It's unfortunate that nobody else will now have this opportunity for their children, unless the college reconsiders this incredibly ill-conceived and poorly timed action.

It is very important that HCC continue supporting students and staff with the services of the Children's Learning Center.

CLC was a very high-quality child care center that was able to hire and retain extremely qualified and professional staff. I have recommended it for years after our wonderful experiences there. It is also an important educational opportunity for HCC students.

I’m very saddened to hear this news. The CLC is a fantastic place for the students in the Childcare field. This was a great resource when I attended there. I urge you to keep it open.

Our daughter had a safe, nurturing, educational, and fun care environment at CLC while I went back to school at HCC for a career change. She loved her teachers and made great friends. The kids were a hit on campus during their Halloween parades and got to see real theater there on walking field trips. It would be a shame to simply dissolve such a great resource for the community.

After a 21.5 year career at HCC, I have been retired for 5 years now. All three of my grandchildren have attended and thrived at the CLC. When Kim Pins was first hired to design and develop the CLC, she “lived” in a spare office in our division office for two years. I observed and was in awe of her exceptional capabilities as she maneuvered through all the processes necessary to make CLC a reality. She researched every single facet, and by the time she began to hire faculty and staff, I knew that I wanted my future grandchildren to attend this amazing school. She never once referred to it as a day care, it was always a learning center. Once the center opened and Kim moved across campus we continued to be friends. I (and many others) volunteered during our lunch hours once per month to sit in a classroom during nap time so that all faculty could attend staff meetings. Not only education majors, but also nursing and human development students benefitted from their experiences in this lab school. It’s a truly unique and very special place. Another very impressive point is that the faculty have stayed with this center when high turnover is the norm in this profession. My youngest grandchild will miss finishing his preschool education at the CLC. The children learned life skills as well as academics. They are so cute as they arrive in the morning when their first activity after hanging up their coat and lunchbox is to wash their hands (well before COVID). They hike up their little sleeves (stretching them all out of shape

Please don’t close down this awesome school! I worked there for years and was the best school I ever worked! The best teachers you can have ! Best school in Columbia MD ! Great service for the college!

I could not have asked for a better pre-school education for my two girls. The love, care, compassion and expertise of the staff is just amazing! It breaks my heart to think that other families will miss out on this amazing place!

The Learning enter should remain, not just for staff, but also as a resource for so many low income and single parents. Many of which attend HCC and are trying to juggle work and school to secure a better opportunities for their families. It is also a great place for the early childhood education students to have hands on learning. Open under MSDE guidance with lower numbers of students.

CLC brings in more than just dollars to HCC, it is an invaluable resource for students who otherwise could not afford childcare, helps employee retention, offers students a chance to develop real-world skills as caregivers, and serves as one of the pillars in HCC’s prestige within Howard County. CLC has been blessed by a caring and devoted staff who could not be more kind or attentive to the children they care for. I encourage and implore HCC to show that they put the welfare of their students, staff, and the community first and save the CLC.