The Children’s Center participates in the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program, which plays a vital role in the quality of meals being served. We offer a morning snack, hot catered lunch, and two afternoon snacks, following strict guidelines on all food selection, preparation, and documentation of meals. We also provide formula with iron, commercial baby food in jars, and rice cereal for infants too young to eat catered lunch. We have an alternative vegetarian menu available, along with the option for organic milk or soy milk. We work diligently to make sure every child is getting the nutrition needed for their growth and development.

We use YMCA Character Development program and The Creative Curriculum® https://teachingstrategies.com/solutions/teach/preschool/ or https://teachingstrategies.com/solutions/teach/creative-curriculum-infants-toddlers-twos/ developed by Teaching Strategies, Inc. This allows us to provide a well-rounded early learning program for children prior to Kindergarten. Our staff members implement both teacher-developed and child-directed activities. Here, curriculum builds year-after-year centering on development of children’s social-emotional, cognitive, language, physical skills, and core subject areas such as science, literacy, and mathematics. We partner with families to create goals for their child and update families on developmental milestones through conferences and Teaching Strategies GOLD assessment tools.

Community Connections – We believe it is important to instill a feeling of belonging in every child. Our community is full of rich and diverse opportunities to teach children the value of their neighborhood and of those who live in it. We achieve this by taking active walks in the neighborhood, visiting local community helpers, inviting guest speakers into the classroom, and taking field trips to local businesses and educational sites.

The Arts – Music, art, and dramatic play are important in the development of young children’s brains. Through our partnership with Northwestern University, we offer a music enrichment program that is designed to introduce basic music concepts to our preschool and pre-kindergarten classrooms. Our Art Appreciation program for pre-kindergarten classes lets children discover sculpture, native beadwork, Chicago architecture, and renowned works from the Art Institute of Chicago. Throughout the year, we incorporate dramatic play daily and invite performers to share stories through puppets, books, marionettes, and song.

Physical Activity – We believe that children should have a time to be active throughout the day. Our playground areas and large-motor spaces are available for use each morning and evening. Additionally, preschool and pre-kindergarten classrooms attend gym and swim classes; our teachers join the YMCA’s gym and aquatic staff to instill a healthy, active lifestyle. Our aquatic staff is experienced in working with new swimmers, as well as more experienced ones; children are encouraged to progress at their own pace and remain comfortable in the water.

STE(A)M

We offer an opportunity for your child to extend their learning time from 12-2 pm on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, where your child will engage with a small group to navigate scientific ideas! In this add-on enrichment, children are encouraged to be curious and explore their world. Children discover ideas through art, nature, culture, fieldtrips, and other hands-on experiences. The program runs from September through May following District 65’s school calendar.

Spanish

We offer an opportunity for your child to extend their learning time from 12-2 pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays, where a native Spanish-speaking teacher teaches conversational Spanish through play, music, and art. Some themes include greetings, body parts, food, colors, names of common objects, and beginning conversation words. The program runs from September through May following District 65’s school calendar.

Our teachers are selected for their expertise, enthusiasm, and experience. They look forward to working with children every morning and our staff retention rates reflect that. All of our lead teachers meet state educational requirements. They complete extensive training in child development and age-appropriate program planning, CPR/AED, First-Aid, and child abuse prevention. Reference checks and extensive background checks are performed to ensure the safety of all children