For more information contact:
Madison Area YMCA Marketing & Communications 
973.822-9622 ext. 2241
For Immediate Release              

F.M. Kirby Children’s Center Teacher Awarded a 2016 Terri Lynne Lokoff/Children’s TYLENOL® National Child Care Teacher Award

(Madison, NJ) March 4, 2016 –Ashley Hendricks, a lead teacher in the Infant Program at the F.M. Kirby Children’s Center of the Madison Area YMCA, was selected to receive a 2016 Terri Lynne Lokoff/Children’s TYLENOL® National Child Care Teacher Award. 

The distinguished honor was bestowed on 49 teachers across the country who will be honored at the 23^rd annual national celebration of child care teachers in Philadelphia on Saturday, April 16. A committee of national early childhood educators and experts reviewed and scored the applications.

“Ashley is that one in a million teacher who touches children, parents and colleagues in profound ways,” said Harriet McCarter, executive director of the F.M. Kirby Children’s Center. “She is … extraordinarily gifted as a teacher and she is driven to excel as a professional, as a parent and as a human being who lives with purpose. Ashley is truly an inspiration to all of us, and an exceptionally deserving candidate for this award.”

Ms. Hendricks, a lead teacher who works with children between the ages of 3 months old and 19 months old, will receive a $1,000 award: $500 to acknowledge her dedication to the field of early care and education and $500 to implement her winning classroom enhancement submission, “Parent Boards.” The boards will describe and illustrate the purpose of the children’s activities that happen in four interest areas in the classroom. This will create the opportunity for parents to see how and what their children are learning.

“Ashley truly loves the job she does and cares about the individual needs of all of the students in her classroom,” said colleague Nicole McLaughlin. “It is refreshing to see the joy and satisfaction on her face when her students achieve milestones such as crawling, walking, talking and drinking out of open cups.”

“I was very excited, honored and thankful when I found out I won one of the awards,” said Ms. Hendricks. “The project will benefit the kids and they’re going to love it.” 

From the inception of the Teacher Awards program in 1994 the Terri Lynne Lokoff Child Care Foundation (TLLCCF), with the inclusion of the 2016 recipients, will have presented 892 awards totaling more than $850,000 to early care and education teachers and providers for their dedication and excellence.

TLLCCF Interim Executive Director Jamie Lokoff stated, “The field of early childhood education has made great strides as being an essential first step in the formal education of a young child. Child care teachers are being recognized for the important role they play in providing learning opportunities for children as young as 6 weeks of age to five years old. The teachers, particularly those honored as our national award winners, are professionals. Their curriculum-based lesson plans are designed to further children’s natural creativity and stimulate curiosity to explore. Teachers play a vital role in the development of children. They introduce children to reading and writing, expanded vocabulary, creative arts, science, and social studies. They use games, music, artwork, films, books, computers, and other tools to teach concepts and skills.”

Continued Lokoff, “My sister Terri, for whom the organization is named, would applaud the winners for their commitment and enthusiasm as dedicated child care teachers. Just like Terri knew, the Terri Lynne Lokoff Child Care Foundation knows that a child’s first learning experience helps set him or her on a path to a successful school career. The Foundation is proud to honor child care teachers for their professionalism.”

Children’s TYLENOL® has been the title sponsor the National Child Care Teacher Awards for sixteen consecutive years. Children’s ZYERTEC® is an official sponsor of the event. Both brands are a part of McNeil Consumer Healthcare Division of McNEIL-PPC, Inc.

About The Terri Lynne Lokoff Child Care Foundation
The TLLCCF has been working for 29 years to make America better by improving early care and education. The Foundation has dedicated its resources to improving the quality of child care for children and supporting and elevating the status of child care teachers and providers. TLLCCF is a nonprofit, nonsectarian 501(c)(3) organization established in 1987 by Kay and Fred Lokoff to honor the memory of their daughter Terri Lynne Lokoff, a devoted child care teacher who died tragically in an automobile accident. The Foundation continues the work of Terri Lynne and those who work in the field of early care and education to ensure that every child has an opportunity to attend a high-quality child care program.

For additional information about the Foundation or the National Child Care Teacher Awards™, please visit www.TLLCCF.org or call 610.992.1140.

For additional information about Children’s TYLENOL®, visit www.tylenol.com. For information about Children’s ZYRTEC® visit https://www.zyrtec.com

The F.M. Kirby Children’s Center of the Madison Area YMCA is one of the largest early childhood education centers in the area offering exceptional quality in childcare and curriculum-based early childhood education programs and care for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, Young 5 students and kindergartners. The Center offers Before- and After-School Care and a Kindergarten Wraparound program. Programming includes Talking Tots, a half-day toddler program with an intensive focus on speech and language acquisition and development taught by a specially-trained teaching team under the direction of a licensed speech and language pathologist. 

Initially serving as an elementary school, the Kirby Center facility is specifically designed for children. Located on almost 3 acres of property, the Center has a full-size gym, full kitchen that serves snacks and meals developed by a staff nutritionist, a registered nurse on staff and five state-of-the-art playgrounds to serve all age groups. 

The F.M. Kirby Children’s Center is a member of the New Jersey YMCA State Alliance and a participating partner in the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey’s Healthy U program which teaches children the importance of physical activity and healthful nutrition. Financial assistance may be available for eligible families. 

For more information, contact Director of Childcare Services Linda Bartek-Smith at 973-377-4945 x3226 or lbartek-smith@madisonymca.org.

The Madison Area YMCA is a cause-driven charitable organization that believes that everyone, regardless of age, income or background, should be enriched by the YMCA. For a better you. For a better community. Give for a better us. 

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