Support the C. James Grothaus Child Care Center

10/23/23 UPDATE: Unfortunately, the STRS Ohio Board agreed with the Executive Director to move forward with a December 31st closure of the Center. We'd like to thank the Board for asking the Executive Director to present facts regarding his decision to close the Center. We'd especially like to thank the three Board Members who supported an extension of operations to June 30, 2024: Mr. Pat Davidson, Ms. Julie Sellers, and Ms. Elizabeth Jones. Such an extension would have greatly helped the teachers and students who must now transition to new employment and new schools in the middle of a school year. Given this decision, all donations received will be given directly to the incredible, irreplaceable teachers when the Center closes.

We hope you all will consider providing some additional support to them as they look for new positions or new paths in the months ahead, and I want to give a very heartfelt thank you to everyone who has provided support, financially or otherwise, to this effort already! Please continue to pass this on to others who may be interested in donating as well!

In the spirit of making this a little more lighthearted and to collect more for the teachers, any donor of at least $100 in aggregate will be eligible to receive (if the donor wants) either one of ten handmade candles (can be in a glass or a tin), or a handmade ceramic mug displaying the CJG Child Care logo (the logo would be in a red iron oxide color as shown below). Mugs are dishwasher and microwave safe. A few photos are included to give an idea of what the items would look like. The donor would have to pick up the gift at the Center.

Even anonymous donors will be eligible to receive a gift, if they want, while keeping their donation anonymous to the public. Eligible donors who have already made or in the future make a donation of at least $100 in aggregate will be contacted via GoFundMe regarding the gifts.

 

ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION: I am a parent of two children who currently attend the C. James Grothaus Child Care Center. In July, 2023, it was announced by the STRS Ohio Executive Director that he had decided to close the Child Care Center on December 31, 2023. Despite the efforts of parents and teachers who proposed to make operational changes to keep the Center open indefinitely, it is still scheduled to close on December 31, 2023. The hypocrisy of a teachers' pension fund firing teachers as a belt-tightening measure is stomach-churning.

The parent group would like to raise funds to support the Child Care Center through this time of uncertainty in hopes of keeping the Center open. If our efforts fail to keep the Center open, these funds will be used to provide a parent-, alumni-, and friends-paid severance for the teachers who will be laid off from the Center and those who have sought new employment in 2023 due to the possibility of a proposed "go-private" operational change at the Child Care Center. In the event of Center closure, any amounts collected will be divided equally among those teachers, including the Director of the Center.

The teachers at this Child Care Center are unparalleled public educators who have dedicated their careers to feeding, changing, rocking, swaddling, comforting, and teaching young children. Many of them have been employed at this Child Care Center for upwards of 20 and even 30 years. The Center has been in operation for 34 years, but in recent years, the teachers and the Center itself have not been appreciated or supported by STRS Ohio. They deserve appreciation and support now amid this awful decision.

Please consider donating to show love, appreciation, and support for the C. James Grothaus Child Care Center and its wonderful educators!