About
The Cathance Children’s Center is committed to providing exceptional daily care for children ages 6 weeks to 9 years old. We provide an environment of educational richness coupled with nurturing care and curriculum designed to ignite cognitive development. We are committed to serving our community by offering early learning opportunities for children of families who might not otherwise have access.
Value Added Services
About the Facility
The Cathance Children’s Center is wholly owned by FHC, Inc., a medical device manufacturer headquartered in Bowdoin, Maine. FHC develops and markets instruments for neurological surgery and research worldwide with U.S. locations in Maine and Pennsylvania, as well as offices in Romania, Colombia and Australia. The Children’s Center opened in 2005 to offer child care to the portfolio of benefits available to FHC employees. The program has since grown to include enrollment opportunities for families from the local community. We are licensed to serve 49 children.
Why Choose Cathance
We simply offer more. More experience, more education, more knowledgeable staff that routinely engage in professional development. We focus on implementing best practices in the early education setting as established by industry leaders, including the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Harvard University Center on the Developing Child. Inclusion is integral to the Cathance Center’s commitment to value all children. We believe that every child should have access to a safe, nurturing environment where both bodies and brains are nourished.
Still Interested?
Contact us for more information or to schedule a tour.
Our Staff / Teachers
Our staffing philosophy is shaped by the knowledge that the commitment and capability of the Center’s teachers directly determines the quality of the program. We carefully interview and screen applicants, seeking those whose experience and practices most closely align with our play-based learning philosophy and mirror our mission in the community. Staff are supervised by the Director and Assistant Director of the Center. All staff members must successfully pass a Maine state police criminal background check, a child protective services background check, fingerprinting, and furnish at least three verifiable childcare-related references. All regular staff have pediatric CPR/AED and first aid training and are required to participate in annual industry-specific professional development programs.
Lori Smith
Director
CDA – Preschool; Maine Director’s Credential
Lori has been a teacher/care giver for over 20 years in several settings. Before joining Cathance Children’s Center four years ago, she owned her own family childcare and coached several children’s sports teams. She has experience working with children at all ages and stages of development. She contributes her knowledge of curriculum development and past experiences to help foster and promote the growth and development of the children within the Center by collaborating with the teachers to create an atmosphere in which all children will learn and grow. Her passion for teaching is set on the principles of child-initiated natural play.
Hayley Barker
Assistant Director
Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Husson University; Maine Director’s Credential
Hayley has worked in all of the Center’s classrooms and believes children learn best through play. She does her best to facilitate child-led play in a safe and nurturing environment. Hayley loves being outside and feels that being in nature is a crucial part of childhood development. She strives to spend as much time as possible outside teaching and playing each day.
“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children play is serious learning. Play is really the work of childhood.” – Fred Rogers
Ashlie Whittaker
Lead Teacher – Preschool
Ashlie believes every child has the potential to bring difference and uniqueness to the world. Each child needs a secure, caring and stimulating atmosphere to learn and grow. It is her desire as an educator to help students meet their full potential by successfully satisfying their individual needs. As a teacher, there is always an opportunity for continual learning and growth and she finds great joy in learning alongside her students. Our children today are our tomorrow, as a preschool teacher we set the stage for future learning and success. It means a lot for her to be part of something so special.
“Even the smallest person can change the course of the future.” – J.R.R. Tolkein
Kaitlyn Allen
Lead Teacher – School Age Room
Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education
Children are so full of energy, love, and laughter, which Kaitlyn feels so lucky to be a part of every day. Their honesty and inability to filter their words makes her smile. Children are nonjudgmental, so loving, and free-spirited. Their positive energy helps to keep her upbeat and release her inner child.
Jessica Gendreau
Lead Teacher – Toddler Room
Associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education
“Every child is a different kind of flower, and all together make this world a beautiful garden.”
Lindsey Blais
Associate Teacher – Preschool Room
“Play is the highest form of research.” -Albert Einstein
Kayla Moody
Lead Teacher- Infant Room
“Children learn as they play. Most importantly, in play children learn how to learn.” -O. Fred Donaldson
Sherry Harris
Associate Teacher – Preschool Room
Katrina Hart
Co-Lead Young Toddler Teacher
Bachelors degree in Adolescent and Child Psychology from Southern New Hampshire University
Katrina loves watching children learn and grow and believes children learn best in a hands-on environment with plenty of outdoor play. She says, “Children are our future and the ability to have a positive impact on their lives is something that I hold close to my heart.”
“Play is not a break from learning. It is endless, delightful, deep, engaging, practical learning. It’s the doorway into the child’s heart!”- Vince Gowmon
Beth Phillips
Co-lead Young Toddler Teacher
Masters Degree in Criminal Justice from Bridgewater State University
Beth has been working in childcare for over five years now in both large group settings as well as a private nanny. She enjoys working with children of all ages, but her favorite part of the job is helping to nurture the growth and development of young toddlers. Beth loves outdoor activities like hiking and camping and believes the more time children can spend playing outside, the better!
“Every child is a different kind of flower and all together make this world a beautiful garden”
Audrey Hoffa
Associte Teacher – Toddler Classroom
“The need for imagination, a sense of truth, and a feeling of responsibility – these are the three forces which are the very nerve of education.”
-Rudolph Stein
Our bodies know what it needs to be healthy. Children have the gift of being able to listen to their bodies for what they need to grow and be healthy. For one of my college courses I was assigned to write a paper on how to teach S.T.E.A.M. to young children. My research concluded that the answer is to take them outside. Experiencing nature is the ultimate resource. Lifelong skills are made of everyday tasks. To learn is to question everything.
“Early childhood education is the key to betterment of society.”
– Maria Montessori