Who was Rosie Baker

If you’ve been involved in the childcare field for a long time, you know the answer. If you are a newer administrator, you may have never had the pleasure of meeting her. Rosemary Troia Baker, or Rosie, as many knew her better, was a life-long advocate for some of our state’s smallest citizens.

Rosie Baker devoted her career to children and families through a variety of avenues. Her history of community involvement is long and diverse. Among the groups Rosie assisted : Employment and Training Association, United Neighborhood’s South Madison Neighborhood Center, City of Madison Planning District Committee, Dane County Nutrition Council, Dane County Head Start, Madison Mayor’s Task Force on Human Services, Rotary, United Way, the National Association of Child Care Professionals, WECA, WCCAA, and the 4 C’s.

Rosie retired from her position as executive director of Child Development Incorporated in 1997. Both before and after her retirement, Rosie devoted much time and expertise to our organization. Rosie strongly believed that administrators need a support group of fellow professionals to maximize their potential in their own jobs. The Rosie Baker scholarship fund which WCCAA now operates as a means for administrators to obtain continuing training had it’s beginnings in “Rosie’s Raffles.” Rosie never missed an opportunity to fundraise for a good cause, and our scholarship fund now stands as a tribute to her dream.

Until her later years when health issues forced her to step back, Rosie spent many hours manning registration tables at our state conference. Participants could always count on a warm welcome from Rosie.

Scholarship applications are available every year at the state conference. If you would like further information, or would like to request an application, contact Sandra Matter at (414) 362-2587, Sandra.matter@med.ge.com.