We play! Downtown Baltimore Child Care is an early care and education center where young children are enriched by each other, caring relationships with the teachers, a stimulating environment, and a carefully planned emergent curriculum. DBCCs focus on child development and play allows the children to meaningfully integrate physical, social, cognitive, and academic growth while they pursue their own interests and learn to cooperate in a group.DBCCs motto, Childhood should be a journey, not a race,
JUNE: Mary Verona (president of the first board) signed the lease for the Park Avenue center, in her wedding dress, minutes before her wedding to David McClung at First and Franklin Presbyterian. SEPTEMBER: During renovations, contractors answered the phones in Nancy Kramer’s (DBCC’s first Director) absence. DBCC opened its doors September of ’83 with five children enrolled and two teachers! Susan Sandstrom and Bonnie Bain were those first two teachers.
1984
FEBRUARY: The new two-year old room opened. APRIL: The third classroom on the ground floor of Park Avenue was opened! Plans for increasing enrollment and the renovation of the second floor began!
1986
APRIL: DBCC opened its new Kindergarten program in a new room. In September, Park Avenue reached its full capacity. SEPTEMBER: Margo Sipes, after having enrolled her own 2 year old at DBCC, left her job with Head Start and joined DBCC’s teaching staff.
1988
SUMMER: The University of Maryland at Baltimore approached DBCC about a second location on their campus. Nancy Kramer was undaunted by the dingy maintenance garage on Arch street and plans began! SEPTEMBER: Margo Sipes was hired as DBCC’s Program Director.
1989
SEPTEMBER: University Center was opened in 1989 and has been a model for Infant and Toddler care and education since. It has been toured by planners and architects from across the country.
2001
MARCH: Nancy Kramer retired and Margo Sipes took over as the executive director of DBCC. DBCC continues to provide high quality child care to Baltimore families. Through the support of local foundations, consortium members, and fundraising, over 20% of our children receive financial aid.
2006
SEPTEMBER: DBCC began to collaborate with Baltimore City Schools for our Judy Hoyer Pre-K Program!
2010
AUGUST: The Park Avenue center closes and DBCC is once again housed under one roof, this time on the campus of the University of MD, Baltimore!