In New Jersey: Day Care with a Lot of Caring

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For five years Bertha Kimbrough made parade shoes and walkie-talkie packs in a factory. Before that, for 22 years, she folded sheets in a laundry. Now she diapers babies. "Gee whiz," she says, "dozens of diapers a day! Sweet potatoes for lunch! I do a lot of changes, you get dishpan hands."

Bertha works -- and has for the past six years -- with two-month-olds to 30- month-olds at the Mercer Children's Center in Trenton. She has scrapbooks at home with photos of all the children. "When I get home at night, I just jumps into bed and visualizes what a beautiful day I had! When you get a baby young and you work with it long enough, you can tell his dos and don'ts, you can tell each whimper," she says.

6:45 a.m. (infant center opens)

Bertha: Steven, can you get me a quart of milk for the babies' breakfast? Over there, over there. Open the 'frigerator door. Can you open the 'frigerator door? Can you get it? Open the door. Bring it here.

Steven: Here, Bersa.

Bertha: Thank you.

Steven: Was da? ((pointing to a poster on the changing table))

Bertha: That's a raccoon.

Steven: Was da?

Bertha: That's the fire alarm for the fire. The battery's getting weak.

Steven: Somebody gonna fix it?

Bertha: Somebody's gonna fix it.

Steven: Oh, O.K. Was da? ((bringing over a toy telephone))

Bertha: That's Chatter. Chatter Telephone.

Steven: Oh, O.K. Hehwo? Hehwo? Hehwo? Hehwo? I'm firsty. ((He opens the fridge.))

Laurie Noonan, a student-intern from local Rider College arrives at the infant center for the day to observe. "I love talking to thems like this," Bertha explains to Laurie. "You tell them to do things, they responds right away."

10:00 a.m. (activities time)

Scott jumps on Brian, tackles him, pushes his head into a rubber pole and sits on him. Clifton throws Laura at Shanique. Alia and Victoria try to smoosh elastic bracelets into the fish tank; Taneeya climbs up the indoor sliding board and smashes the basement window with a wooden hammer; Paul, not yet , walking, tries to lift himself up against a shelf, and it topples backwards; Laura and Sahar startle and cry; Clifton and Adam take off all their clothes and run around the snack tables in a circle whooping.

Karla ((composed)): Scott, Brian is crying. He doesn't like that. Brian, tell him no.

Owen ((counting boots)): One, one, one, one, six. ((Justin throws boots into toilet.))

Karla: Scotty, Scotty, no pushing. Look at me, Scott. Look at me. No.

Loraine: Someone doesn't smell like roses. Did you do B.M., Alison? Is it yours, Raymond?

Karla: Brian, talk to Scott. No, Brian is talking to you, Scotty. You're the one who is listening now. Brian, Scott wants to talk to you. Do you want to kiss it?

Bertha: Sahar. Sahar. I think she's the one who's smelling.

Karla: Benjamin! What courage! ((Benjamin, 1, has climbed up the wooden slide for the first time.)) That's like climbing Mount Everest! That's how you conquer the world, that's right! That's how you do it! ((Bertha takes a photograph of Benjamin.))