VCU Health System child care director participates in Oxford Round Table

By Malorie Burkett

Patricia Moon, director of childcare services at the Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, recently participated in the Oxford Round Table – an elite forum in Oxford, England, that promotes the study and consideration of current issues facing state and national systems of education.

Moon, a registered nurse and director of childcare Services at the VCU Health System since its inception 22 years ago, addressed early childhood literacy and was one of only six early childhood educators from the United States and 35 internationally.

“We are very proud of this international recognition, not just of Patsy Moon, but of our entire child care program as influential in the field of early childcare development,” said Maria Curran, VCUHS vice president of human resources. “Patsy and her colleagues are genuinely committed to our children and have often been cited by our parents as the main reason they choose to work here.”

Curran also said the child care services team members serve on many committees dedicated to quality of care for infants, toddlers and preschoolers across the Richmond region, and they conduct seminars for centers that could otherwise not afford speakers to improve skills and staff knowledge about child care issues.

Moon, who received an invitation for the Round Table, was selected from a pool of individuals chosen for the potential to make significant contributions to Round Table discussions. Individuals are nominated by past participants or leaders of educational institutions.

Past membership has included ministers of education, U.S. governors, members of Parliament, executive officers of international corporations, educational administrators, pastors, attorneys and academicians from major universities.

The purpose of the Oxford Round Table is to promote human advancement and understanding through the improvement of education. The Round Table meets periodically and each session is composed of a small select group of leaders from both the public and private sectors of several countries. For more information, visit http://www.oxfordroundtable.co.uk.