Lawrence Day School celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.
By:Lea Kahn Staff Writer
When Margaret Kornberg and Jeffra Nandan joined forces in 1978 to create a parenting education center, they did not realize that it would spawn the Lawrence Day School a child care center that is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
The two women, who have operated the Lawrence Day School at 48 Carter Road since 1981, met at a reception for new Rider University faculty members in the mid-1970s. Their husbands had been recently hired to teach at the college, Ms. Nandan said.
Ms. Nandan said that she and Ms. Kornberg soon became close friends. They took care of each other’s children. But the two women soon realized that although they were fortunate to have created their own support system, other families were not so lucky.
Taking advantage of their own backgrounds in education and social work, Ms. Nandan said, she and Ms. Kornberg created the Family Resource Center. The nonprofit center, which had its headquarters at the Princeton United Methodist Church, offered support to young mothers who were new to the Princeton and Lawrence area, she said.
"Out of that (Family Resource Center) grew the need for a place where parents could leave their children," Ms. Nandan said. The number of families in which both parents worked began to grow and there was a need for child care so she and Ms. Kornberg started the Lawrence Day School, she said.
The two partners learned that a child care center on Carter Road was available, and they purchased it. Longtime Lawrence residents may recall that the property at 48 Carter Road was originally known as The Little Red Schoolhouse.
The Lawrence Day School has an enrollment of about 80 children, ranging in age from three months old to 5 years old. In addition to child care, the school offers a pre-kindergarten program. All of the teachers have degrees in early childhood education, she added.
Ms. Nandan said the Lawrence Day School began with a flexible schedule that accommodated parents’ needs, and continues to adhere to that approach 25 years later. Some parents enroll their children at Lawrence Day School for a full day, while others enroll their children for a half-day or for a few hours a couple of days a week, she said.
Sometimes, child care is needed for a few hours because the mother teaches at one of the colleges or perhaps is a writer who needs a few quiet hours in which to work, Ms. Nandan said. The mother may have a job or career that she wants to pursue, but doesn’t need full-time child care, she said.
"We still believe that parents should be with their children as much as possible," Ms. Nandan said. "We still run the school that way. We think we should be here to help you with your schedule and fit in with your schedule. We are flexible. We meet the parents’ needs and obviously we meet the children’s needs."
In fact, the Lawrence Day School has been accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children for the past 16 years, which is proudly pointed out by Ms. Nandan. Schools are evaluated every three years for accreditation purposes.
Until recently, the Lawrence Day School participated in a special pre-school program with the Mercer County Special Services School District. The MCSS enrolls children who have developmental disabilities, such as Down syndrome or who may be deaf.
Children from the county special services school district shared the classroom with the other children, Ms. Nandan said. The relationship between the county program and the Lawrence Day School ended when public school districts set up their own special pre-school programs, she said.
Ms. Nandan said she misses the program because it enriched the children’s lives. Children with special needs sat together and played together with the other children.
"Children pretty much accept anything," she said. "They accept one another. A child who speaks Chinese can play all day next to a child who speaks Hebrew. Both will eventually learn to speak English."
While the world has changed over the past 25 years, one thing that has remained constant is the parents, she said. However, fathers are becoming more involved in their children’s care, she said, adding that it is not unusual for a father to drop off his child and then run home to get the child’s favorite toy bunny.
"Children are children they haven’t changed in 25 years," Ms. Nandan observed. "Parents still want the best for their children, and parents still need as much support (as possible). We still hope to fill that (support) role. We still see our role as supporting parents and families."

