It was in 1877 that the scientific world first took an interest in the development of infants and young children. Charles Darwin wrote an article in Mind magazine entitled “The Biographical Sketch of an Infant” based on the notes he took on his infant son 37 years previous.
An incredible wealth of knowledge about early brain development and how it affects the individual through life has been gathered since, and the way that people interact with babies and young children has vastly changed.
LCI’s member business Bright Beginnings Childhood Development Center is owned and operated by Stacey Betz, a woman who understands the immense importance of helping young brains grow and flourish so that they can gain their full potential.
From Law School to Pre-School
Stacey is a Baton Rouge native who graduated from Baton Rouge High School and attended LSU with aspirations of becoming a lawyer. She transferred to Southeastern Louisiana University and graduated in Communications with the plan the apply to law school. Circumstances changed, she said, because “God had other plans.” She continued, “I graduated college and never went to work. I was a stay-at-home mom of two. I started working in aftercare at my church as a volunteer, and they asked me to become the Director of the Childcare Center. I loved it. I loved being a stay-at-home mom and raising children; I was all into it. And this was an extension of that.”
After some years and as her own children grew up and left home, Stacey blossomed in her career. “I had been the director of two other centers, and I had opened a consulting business for three other centers for other people.” Eventually she felt the desire to open a childcare center of her own, and she brought in her entire family to help out. Bright Beginnings Childhood Development Center opened in the Baton Rouge suburb of Zachary in 2011. She explained, “My husband Chris is the one who financially started us. Now he’s our cook and handyman. He comes in everyday and cooks us breakfast and lunch.” Her adult children Kyle Betz and Danielle Crowder are the center’s Directors.
Brainasium
It’s not all fun and games at Bright Beginnings CDC. Stacey is adamant about developing the brains of her kids and educating the parents and families on how to do it at home. Bright Beginnings hires teachers who have received specialized training according to the Louisiana Pathways Child Care Career Development System. She said, “I just love the idea of brain development in children and the importance of what they’re exposed to when they’re young. Our brain synapses are wired in the first five years. If you don’t get it in the first five years, you’re working uphill the rest of your life. We see that in children, and we see that in adults who did not have good quality childcare whether it was in the home or in a center. Iin early childhood, the social and emotional aspects of learning are huge. They’re developing trust. Research shows that without trust, there is no learning. It’s about those relationships.”
Stacey researched not only early childhood brain development throughout her career, but she delved into the workings of the childcare system in Louisiana. Before 2014, childcare centers were licensed through the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) which Stacey felt was not fitting. Stacey wasn’t the only person who felt that way, either. During the 2014 Regular Legislative Session, Act 868 mandated the transfer of the licensing authority for the state’s childcare and Head Start centers from DCFS to the Louisiana Department of Education. State Superintendent John White said at the time, “We want future generations to be ahead of the curve when they arrive for their first day of kindergarten. By establishing consistent expectations for providers, our young children and families will have equitable access to safe, high-quality care and education.”
“There was a huge move in childcare in 2014 in Louisiana. We started with official assessments of teachers and official assessments of children. We used a tool called CLASS to gauge teacher/student interaction, and we used a tool called TS Gold to track childrens’ developmental skills. The children are screened for speech, language, fine motor skills, and gross motor skills. We screen them to get them early intervention. The next component is family engagement. We have to educate parents because they don’t know. Why is it important to do these things? Why do we focus on certain things? They might think it’s a baby, you just change them and feed them. That’s not what’s going on here. The early childcare industry is really moving, even more so now, towards early education and brain development because they understand what the investment is worth to the community.”
Bright Beginnings CDC is able to provide optimum care to their kids and their families by keeping their roster small. Stacey continued, “We are a family business. We are a small center. We chose to be small on purpose. What we provide is specialized, individualized care. We have great relationships with our parents; their children are like our family. My family is there: myself, my daughter, my husband, my son. And someone is there from 6 AM to 6 PM. If you need us, you can call us. Our center reflects our family values. We are a Christian-based center even though we are not affiliated with the church. That’s just how we treat people.”
Community Feeling
Stacey feels that the city of Zachary is the best community for her business and her own growing family. She also has the space to indulge in her other passion: gardening. She happily said, “We have lived in Zachary for the past 26 years. We love it, and it really matches our philosophy of a family environment. When we take the kids in our center on a field trip, our families come too. It’s amazing! And the whole town of Zachary is like that. I am a gardening enthusiast. I have a huge herb and vegetable garden here. I love being outdoors, and I love being with my grandkids.” Some of Stacey’s vegetables make it into the meals that her husband prepares at Bright Beginnings.
Stacey emphasized that raising a healthy, happy, and well-developed child doesn’t require anything other than being intentional in your actions. “I have worked in very wealthy centers and low-end centers; there is no difference in people. It’s whether you engage with your child intentionally and communicate correctly. It’s so important to teach children of that age how to handle their feelings. I could go on and on. This is my passion.”
You can learn more about Bright Beginnings CDC at https://www.brightbeginningscdc.com/
