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EARLY EDUCATION 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.  We believe children are to be recognized as unique individuals, nurtured and educated with love, respect and dignity. We believe the rich diversity of this community mirrors that of the larger community, with various cultures and family structures, and it is a strength worth celebrating.  We encourage parents to be actively engaged in their child's learning.

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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.

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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BEST PRACTICES: NAEYC ACCREDITATION  

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The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) develops and promotes national standards which embody the latest research and best practices in early childhood education and development.  The NAEYC has a vigorous accreditation process which requires ongoing program evaluations and improvements. While many care providers will say they follow NAEYC standards, only a relatively small percentage of childcares and preschools are actually accredited, which requires NAEYC validators visiting the facility and agreeing the standards are adhered to.  As of June 2021 the NAEYC has once again validated our commitment to quality care and education by awarding us renewed accreditation.

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OUR HISTORY

 

The Center was founded in 1975, as an infant & young child-care outreach service for working families, a Catholic Charities program. It was later adopted as a non-religious community service program, of the First United Methodist Church of Redwood City. Over decades, as childcare needs increased, programs and capacity have expanded, creating and enhancing programs for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Our landmark achievement, in 2006, was our initial 6 year accreditation, which was awarded after a careful self-study and improvement of our programs and several independent evaluator visits. See also NAEYC (National Academy for the Education of Young Children) .

 

Over the recent decade, education experts have determined  many school-readiness factors in children, which validate our philosophy.  The curriculum for the Eagles Pre-K class is more robust in the areas of math and science, and both the Woodpeckers class as a preliminary step toward PreK, and the Eagles Pre-K are aligned with the California Department of Education's developmental goals and recommendations for kindergarten readiness.

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LICENSING

 

We are licensed through the California Department of Social Services for children between the ages of 2 months and 5 3/4 years old - or 5 years 9 months. (Licenses #410509027 and 410519042).

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OPERATING SCHEDULE

 

We are open year-round from 7:00AM to 5:45 PM, Monday through Friday. We offer full-time (all day) and part-time (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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SPECIAL PROGRAMS

 

Our commitment to quality early education absolutely includes enrichment programs, since most of our parents work full time and would not otherwise be able to sign up their children for special programs through the parks & rec during the day. Special enrichments to our basic programs, at no additional cost, include: Spanish immersion circle time, gymnastics, music, and sign language (and soccer for Pre-K).

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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.