Campus Child Center celebrates 40 years of care, connection

Campus Child Center celebrates 40 years of care, connection

Sarah Mumaw-Flury was paying her tuition at the UW-La Crosse Cashier's Office when an impromptu conversation changed her life.

"The cashier noticed I was pregnant and asked me if I had enrolled at the Campus Child Center yet. At the time, I didn't know there was a Child Center, and I didn't know that you needed to get on wait lists before a baby was even born," Mumaw-Flury, '05 & '11, recalls. "This turned out to be the best advice I was given. My oldest son was able to start at the center when he was 1. He blazed the trail for the next three of my kiddos to attend."

As Mumah-Flury and her husband, Mike, progressed through college and entrusted the center with each of their children, "Campus Child Center staff became like family to us," she says.

While special, their connection to the center is not unique.

Since it opened in 1985, the Campus Child Center has provided the highest levels of care and education to countless children of UWL students, staff and faculty - many of whom have maintained relationships and fond memories of the center even after their children have grown.

As the center prepares to mark 40 years with a campus celebration at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 2, families and care providers are reflecting on the center's profound impact on the campus community - the lessons shared, the memories made and the lives touched.

Ashley Franzo, director of the Campus Child Center, says the celebration offers a chance for people to reconnect, reminisce and learn more about how the center continues to support students and families.

"I think the Campus Child Center is such a beloved, integral part of the university because it is student-centered," Franzo says. "Whether you are speaking to how we support the various programs for the students enrolled at the university or the children who are the students within our classrooms, it seems as though we have a lasting impact. I attribute this to our culture of respect and belonging to everyone who comes through our doors."

Jacqueline Skaife, '20, describes the center as "truly heaven-sent for our family."

An Army veteran juggling classes and coursework on top of parenting, Skaife enrolled her children at the center and found the one thing every parent wants: peace of mind.

"From the very beginning, the staff welcomed our family with warmth and understanding," Skaife explains. "The educators quickly became some of my children's favorite people. Their kindness, patience and genuine care left a lasting impact on our lives. We are deeply grateful for the role they played in supporting our children during such important early formative years."

The care and convenience of the center also allowed Skaife - as is the case with many student parents - to focus on her studies and career goals.

"Their dedication and love gave our children a strong foundation and gave me, as a student and a parent, the support I needed to succeed," she says. "We will always remember our time there with heartfelt appreciation."

Patrick Heise, director for Residence Life at UWL, and his wife, Lisa, enrolled both of their children at the Campus Child Center. While their children are now grown, the Heises have stayed in touch with Dawn Hays, the center's former director, and say they hold nothing but positive memories.

For their daughter Sydney Heise, now a sophomore at Brigham Young University, spending time at the center and on the broader campus helped drive her decision to pursue a career teaching English to speakers of other languages.

"I remember being excited to go to the Campus Child Center every morning, which is saying something since I generally had a hard time letting my parents out of my sight," she says. "I know I felt cared for and that every day felt like an adventure thanks to Dawn and the other teachers.

"I'm so grateful to have been part of the UWL community from a very young age, surrounded by so many exceptional teachers and leaders," she says. "I hope to take what I've learned from them into my career as an educator."

Students in UWL's School of Education also benefit from hands-on opportunities at the center, learning from professional staff and gaining valuable experience working with children. Approximately 60 students, across a variety of majors, assist at the center each semester.

Through the years, the center has updated and expanded its facilities to reflect evolving best practices.

In 1997, it moved into its current location adjoining the Recreational Eagle Center, a spacious, purpose-built space for early childhood education. More recently, in 2025, a new playground was installed to provide richer and more inclusive play opportunities.

While infrastructure matters, the center's true strength lies in relationships.

Much of the center's success can be traced to its dedicated teachers, some of whom have spent decades there. Their longevity reflects a supportive, rewarding work environment, and has allowed them to watch students grow from early childhood into adulthood.

"I often run into parents of children I have had in the past as I walk through campus, and I love to chat about their children's growth and adventures," says Kim Amundson, who joined the center in 1997. "Working at the center has always been like an extension of my own family. I am so proud to be a part of it, and to be able to support these children in their early learning."

Angela Dingel, another 30-year veteran of the center, says she treasures the chance to work with so many children, helping them learn and discover the world at a formative stage of their development.

"Young children come to us curious, imaginative and eager to explore, and I have the unique opportunity to nurture that natural excitement," Dingel says. "I get to celebrate their important milestones with them and provide encouragement as they tackle new challenges."

It's a job, she says, that offers something special in return.

"Every day brings laughter, curiosity and the chance to see the world through a child's eyes."