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PHILOSOPHY

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We believe in learning through play and in being responsive to the needs and interests of each child, at each stage of their development.  Children are to be recognized as unique individuals, nurtured and educated with love, respect and dignity. The rich diversity of our community mirrors that of the larger community, with various cultures and family structures, and it is a strength worth celebrating. ​

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We support integrated learning through play, hands-on exploration, discovery and social interaction with our specially designed environments. Our curriculum provides opportunities for growth and is based on what is known about early childhood development, beginning with infants and building through preschool. We utilize Baby Signs™, LearningGames™, Creative Curriculum™, and HighScope Curriculum™ as our framework, which have parent involvement components.  We partner with parents to understand their needs, and also to provide them with an understanding of child development, and their child's uniqueness.

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We promote attitudes of respect, cooperation, and the understanding that every child’s differences make them unique and special. We support each child's social/emotional, cognitive and biophysical development  through energetic play, dynamic interpersonal interactions, and enrichment offerings, with our overarching goals to foster curiosity,  social skills, self-help skills, self-confidence, and a love for reading and learning.  

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OUR HISTORY

 

The Center was founded in 1975, as an infant center for working families. It was later adopted as a non-religious community service program of the First United Methodist Church of Redwood City. Since then we have expanded our capacity and age levels to include toddlers and preschoolers, to meet  changing community needs. With careful careful self-study and improvement of our programs and several independent evaluator visits over time, we are accredited, since 2006.

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BEST PRACTICES: NAEYC ACCREDITATION  

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The latest research in child development and best practices in early childhood education, ages 0-5 years is gathered by The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) to develop and promote national standards which embody these ideals. We are accredited by the NAEYC.

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LICENSING

 

We are licensed through the California Department of Social Services  to age 5 years 9 months.

Licenses #410509027 Infants,  #410519042 Preschool

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OPERATING SCHEDULE

 

Year-round from 7:00AM to 5:45 PM, Monday through Friday. We offer full day and part day(morning) enrollments. The Center is closed on National Holidays, one week during spring, one week during summer, and the week between Christmas and New Year's Day.

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PARENT ENGAGEMENT

 

We acknowledge parents as the primary role models for their children and we aim to work with parents to achieve two way learning and communication between families and school. We listen to parents about families and their cultures so that we can bring some of these elements into the classroom. We also give parents tools and resources to help them focus on their child's unique development.