Longtime employee in child care reflects on tenure

As Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen (CCDOM) recognizes employees who have achieved milestones in their employment at the agency, its Child Care program must replace one of its longest serving employees.
 

Deborah Vitale — “Miss Debi” as she was always called — is retiring after more than 28 years with the program. She began working for CCDOM Sept. 7, 1993, at the Triangle Elementary School in the Hillsborough School District. As she departs from the agency, she was proud to look back on the memories she has collected in a scrapbook from her time at Catholic Charities.
 

In 1993, Vitale started out as a youth worker at Triangle’s after-school program working with about 40 children. After two years of hard work and success, she was promoted to site coordinator and was responsible for overseeing the Triangle after-school program in addition to supervising the on-site staff.
 

Vitale helped implement the full-day summer program at Triangle and was able to increase her enrollment over the years to more than 90 children.
 

“Miss Debi” was highlighted with her program in the local newspaper after accomplishing National School Age Accreditation in 1997 as part of a pilot in which only three programs in Somerset County participated. While the typical after-school program at that time was mostly recreational, this showed the commitment Catholic Charities had on increasing quality child care and implementing high standards.
 

Vitale always included community service projects into her after-school program. She was involved in the 4-H program and offered many educational and enrichment activities for the kids to participate in.
 

In 2008, Vitale was involved in the national accreditation of all of the Catholic Charities’ Somerset County Child Care programs, another great accomplishment during her career.
 

As Vitale looks back at her time in the Child Care Program at Catholic Charities, she reflects on many fond memories of the relationships she has built. She still communicates with families who attended her program in 1993.

Krista Glynn, service area director of Child Care, asked Vitale some questions as she prepared to start another chapter in her life.
 

Q: How far have the child care program and the after-school program come?
 

A: “It has come far. After-school originally started out as more of a recreational program, but I always made sure that we had an activity plan and that the kids were involved in community service projects. I do feel it is really important to have social, emotional learning in the programs, and I am happy to see that incorporated more now. After this difficult period of the pandemic, the kids are so happy to be back. They really are happy to be back and with their friends.”
 

Q: What did you like most about working for Catholic Charities, Diocese of Metuchen?
 

A: “I loved talking with the kids and being with the families. I still keep in touch with families who were in my program and even former staff. It made me feel good that the kids were comfortable talking to me and confiding in me with things that they were having difficulty with. I do feel it made a difference with kids that were struggling.”
 

Q: What advice would you give to new employees in Child Care?
 

A: “You have to do this job because you love it, not just for the paycheck. You have to commit to the job for the kids. It isn’t fair to them if you don’t.”