When
Carolyn Cole came to Gillette almost 40 years ago, it was in the middle of an oil and
coal boom and she had two young children to care for. Quality childcare
was scarce, and Carolyn ran a home daycare for nine years. Fast forward
to 1986 when Carolyn came to work for CCH in the
Laundry. The 5 am start time didn’t really work for her, and when CCH opened
a childcare department in 1988, it seemed a perfect fit.
Beginning as a sick child daycare, kids came to the hospital’s third
floor south for 19 years before the
Early Childhood Center was built. Carolyn is proud to say that by August of this year, CCH will
have provided childcare for its employees for 30 years.
Over the years Carolyn has served as Interim Manager three or four times,
and is now a program coordinator for the infant and toddler rooms. She
also helps develop curriculum, and with scheduling and billing. Carolyn
knows of employees in Childcare that attended as children, and others
who now work at CCH and are sending their own kids to the Childcare Center.
“It says a lot about our organization that generations of employees
want to work here,” said Carolyn.
She’s looking forward to spending more time with her three grandchildren
after she retires, and has already scheduled trips to watch them compete
in basketball, softball and track tournaments. She’s promised them
each a special trip with Grandma too.
It will be hard for Carolyn to give up seeing her childcare charges every
day, and staff have already told her that she can come back and volunteer
anytime she wants.
Carolyn says that it’s impossible to have a bad day when a little
one calls your name and gives you a hug. Thank you Carolyn, for making
a difference in the lives of so many children and their parents over the
last 30 years.