Beverly Taylor

For Beverly Taylor, Labor Day is a 24-hour job.

"Girl, don't you see the sweat pouring down my face!"She said after changing diapers for half of the 12 children clients at her licensed daycare center, As They Grow.It was the end of that chapter in Taylor's daily routine as the parents picked up their children.The daycare is in the former basement apartment of her home.Taylor opened the daycare center in 1991.

She has a staff of five, including her daughters, who work part-time, and assistants JoAnn Johnson and Carmelita Evans.Taylor is now preparing to go to choir rehearsal with her daughters, LaTesha, 20-something, and 14-year-old Brittany and LaTesha's son, Xavier, 2.That means a drive to Michigan City, where they attend Revival Center Church Of God In Christ.

When she is not doing her duties as owner and provider of the daycare, Taylor is working part-time at Arc Bridges, formerly known as the Lake County Association for the Retarded in Merrillville.

Taylor is the residential supervisor for seven adult males in two group homes.Her duties for the last two years are to help supervise and direct the clients. who are mentally challenged, adjust to everyday life."These men are like children and we teach them things that we take for granted, like tying shoes and buttoning clothes, personal hygiene.

"We take them to activities like the mall, the movies, grocery shopping.We help them to get used to the outside world," Taylor said.

And three days a week, Taylor is a part-time student at Ivy Tech State College.She is working on an associate's degree in early childhood education."I am going into my second year, but I am also going to go for a bachelor's degree in the near future," Taylor said.

The widowed mother and grandmother said her days begin at 5:30 a.m., opening the daycare and greeting her staff and parents rushing in to drop off the children.Ivy Tech calls for her attention on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.Her job at Arc Bridges is six hours on Thursdays and the remaining 14 hours are completed every other weekend.

LaTesha calls her mother "superwoman.""I admire her for what she does.She does a great job and she is a great mom and grandmother.I am very grateful to God for her," LaTesha said.Taylor said taking care of children, no matter their age or mentality, is a natural talent."I can't run away from it.God put me here to do this," she said.

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