COUNSELOR'S CORNER: Leader in the Field to Join T.E.A.C.H. Advisory Committee Christina Schwartz

Though Ann Lee is new to the T.E.A.C.H. advisory committee, she is by no means new to the T.E.A.C.H. program. “I first heard about T.E.A.C.H. when it was only a vision for Minnesota ,” explains the Saint Paul center director and activist in the field. “As soon as the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Minnesota program became a reality I knew I would be involved.”

With one active T.E.A.C.H. recipient and one T.E.A.C.H. graduate on her staff, Ann felt she would bring a unique understanding of the program to the advisory committee. “Providing child care is a high-stress job,” she says. “I give my staff support in as many ways as I can, maintaining a commitment to T.E.A.C.H. is one of those ways.”  Ann's center, Close to Home enjoys a less than 1 percent turnover rate. “I treat my staff with respect and the way I'd like to be treated as a teacher.” She goes on to explain another goal for her tenure on the committee, “I also want to demonstrate how the program influences the businesses in our community and not only the recipients.”

Ann began her teaching career with a position student teaching in the Montessori program at Visitation School . Following her tenure at Visitation she taught at Children's Place for 10 years and eventually became a director.  She later moved to Robbinsdale and opened an infant/school-age program for Children's Learning Center . This was a turning point as it was her first experience working with infants and toddlers and the time in which she began to make plans for creating her ideal center. Thanks to the founder of Close To Home Ann was able to fulfill this dream. Guided by a philosophy of delivering “exceptional child care in a warm loving environment,” Close to Home enjoys full enrollment and has a long waiting list of families who would like to join the center.

This year Ann and Lisa, co-owners of Close to Home, are celebrating twenty years in business. This type of longevity in the field is a great success and the Close to Home staff are proud to share some of the benefits this long-term presence in the community has provided, such as the enrollment of several former staff members' children into the program as well as a “second generation” Close to Home kid whose mother was also cared for by Ann as a child. Close to home is NAEYC accredited and offers care for infants, toddlers and preschoolers.

Ann brings her experiences as a board member for Resources for Child Caring, The Early Childhood Director Association and the Minnesota Child Care Association to our committee. She is also a district coordinator for Child Care WORKS. Please join me in welcoming her!