Goals

Children's Center Goals

In support of the Allan Hancock Joint Community College District, the Children’s Center Lab School:

• Provides an efficient and effective child care/development
• Provides a teacher training system
• Is responsive to local community needs
• Offers a full range of services through a safe, healthful, and nurturing environments

Program Objectives

Infant-Toddler Program

The Infant/Toddler program provides a diverse environment that is nurturing, respectful, developmentally appropriate, and culturally inclusive for children from 3 to 36 months of age. Our guidelines are based upon practices endorsed by the Program for Infant and Toddler Caregivers (PITC), National Association of the Education Young Children (NAEYC), and Resources for Infant Educators (RIE). We ensure that the home cultures of the children's families are reflected and respected in the program. We encourage the parent's participation in the child's daily plan, needs, and routines. We believe the child's family is the primary teacher, and we are their support system. We build partnerships with the parents and support the families in their parenting role.  Staff provides materials and supportive environments so that:

• Each child spends quality time with their primary caregiver to provide an intimate responsive relationship.
• Respect is shown to the infant/toddler by engaging them as an active participant, rather than a passive recipient in all interactions.
• Realistic trust in the child’s environment is encouraged.
• Children understand their inner needs and are encouraged to communicate them through gestures, sounds, signs, and words.
• Caregivers encourage and provide opportunities for quality development at each child's stage of development.
• Caregivers provide flexibility and the capacity for children to learn from past experiences.
• Caregivers allow the children to problem solve and to make choices for themselves, which include learning the consequences of their choices.
• Responsive care is using every opportunity to help the children learn, especially during feeding, diapering, and sleeping routines.

Preschool Program

The preschool program provides quality child care for children ages three through 5 years of age that ensures positive-cross-cultural, educational and social experiences, and embraces opportunities to serve children of varying cognitive abilities, physical abilities or developmental delays.

The curriculum is planned to reflect the needs, interests, and abilities of the children within the guidelines of the program's philosophy. We provide a variety of opportunities for each child’s need to develop socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually. Children are encouraged to be actively involved in the learning process, to experience a variety of developmentally appropriate activities and materials, and to pursue their own interests. The daily schedule includes self-select opportunities, in addition to group time in which the child's needs for routine and identity are met. Staff provides materials and activities that are planned to:

• Foster positive self-concept
• Develop social skills with children and adults
• Encourage children to think, reason, question and experiment
• Enhance physical development and skills
• Enhance the development of language and communication
• Provide for individual differences and abilities
• Encourage creativity and appreciation of the arts
• Demonstrate sound health, safety, and nutritional practices
• Respect cultural diversity of staff and children