"I love and enjoy what I do and have been doing for the past 15 years."

Ivy M. Douglas

Site Director
Lincoln Donoghue
Chicago, IL
Years in Position: 1 1/2 years
Level II

I was first introduced to the Illinois Director's Credential (IDC) in the summer of 2007. I applied for the IDC in the fall of 2007 and started the process. Once I began I became discouraged and stopped because it seemed to be overwhelming, especially while trying to handle the duties of being a full time Director. I was then introduced to a program at National-Louis called Go for the Gold. The Go for the Gold program assists individuals to achieve their goal of receiving the IDC. While being a part of this program I was assigned a mentor that walked me through the process. So my outlook on the IDC turned from being a big giant to a realistic goal that could be achieved. I received my IDC Level II on January 18, 2008. I am so excited! I am the first Director in my agency to receive this credential and I am now encouraging several other directors to complete the process. I am so honored to have achieved this goal and I am looking forward to applying for the Level III IDC.

My name is Ivy Douglas and I am a 29 year old single woman. As a little girl I always dreamed of becoming a teacher when I grew up. I was always concerned about the well being of other children around me. As a teenager I began teaching Sunday School, Vacation Bible School and tutoring at my former elementary school. After graduating high school I worked in a child care as a Teacher's Aide for the summer. While working there I decided this was the field for me. I attended Dillard University and started taking coursework in the field of education. I tutored at various elementary schools in the Chicago area during my college years, as well as running a summer enrichment program for 200 children in the Englewood community. After graduating with my Bachelor's Degree I began substitue teaching and became the Assistant Site Director at a local child care located in Edwardsville, IL. I received my Master's Degree in Elementary Education with an emphasis in Early Child Education and began teaching at a center on the west side of Chicago. I was in the classroom for a year and noticed the lack of support for the classroom teacher and decided to make a change. I became the Assistant Director for Catholic Charities and the biggest advocate for my teaching staff. As time passed I saw the opportunity to become a Site Director and took a position as Site Director at Lincoln/Donoghue in September 2006. I am also the youth pastor at Prayer and Faith Outreach Ministries.

Within the next year I plan to own and operate my own child care facility. Once the facility is established, I plan on owning and operating a franchise of 24-hour child care centers throughout the United States that will cater to the needs of children between the ages of 0 to 12. I love and enjoy what I do and have been doing for the past 15 years. I look forward to working in the field for another 15 plus years.