• Purpose and Goals
• Schedules Available
• Hours of Operation
• Yearly Schedule
• Learning Areas
• Daily Activity Timetable
• Special Events
• Copy of Birth Certificate, Immunizations and Health Examination Required

Purpose and Goals

To create a nurturing child care environment which promotes the optimal development and learning potential of young children

To provide for physical care, health, and safety

To provide a sound nutritional program

To provide opportunities for each child:

• For sensory experiences, cognitive learning, physical activity, and language growth
• To stimulate curiosity and exploratory behavior, self-expression, creativity, self-control, and responsibility
• To have interactions with caring professionals who understand children's needs while recognizing that individuals are different
• To make a successful break from home and family to an atmosphere with trusted adults
• To acquire a sense of personal identity and independence
• To acquire social skills in a positive emotional climate
• To learn appropriate behaviors for group experiences

Schedules Available

The center offers a full-day child care program and a morning program with or without lunch. Priority is given for children who attend daily, but there may be space for 2, 3, or 4 days per week.

Hours of Operation

The center is open from 7:15 to 5:45 from Monday through Friday. There is one teacher for the first and last 15 minutes of the day. Those 15 minutes before 7:30 and after 5:30 are for those parents who need to use the time due to work schedules. When possible, parents are asked to come between 7:30 and 5:30 to see your child's own teacher.

Yearly Schedule

The center is open year-round except for these holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King's birthday, Good Friday, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and the Friday after, and Christmas Day and Christmas Eve. The center is closed between Christmas and New Year's Day.

Learning Areas

Creative Arts—Music and movement, arts and crafts, dramatic play
Language Arts—Puppetry, storytelling, reading and books, listening area
Science—Discovery area, sensory play, outdoors
Motor Skill Development—Outdoor playscape, indoor active play, puzzles and manipulatives
Number Concepts—Block building, transportation toys, table toys, carpentry
Social Studies—Housekeeping, trips for older children, visitors

Daily Activity Timetable

The daily schedule varies from one room to another in complexity and in the amount and type of teacher-planned activities. In general, however, a typical day includes the following:

7:15 to 9:00	Arrival. Guided activities indoors and outdoors.
9:00 to 9:30	Morning group time, clean-up, toileting, snack.
9:30 to 11:20	Guided activities in learning areas, indoors and outdoors.
11:20 to 11:30	Morning children depart. Clean-up, toileting.
11:30 to 12:30	Lunch. Toileting, hand-washing.
12:30 to 1:00	Children who attend only through lunch time depart. Outdoor play, quiet indoor play, stories, listening to music, browsing through books.
1:00 to 3:00	Nap or rest. Wake up and dressing. Toileting. Listening activities continue for those who are awake. Older children may have a shorter nap and participate in quiet activities.
3:00 to 5:45	Afternoon snack. Guided activities indoors and outdoors. Children leave gradually. Clean up.

Special Events

Weekly music classes, taught by Amy Schrock, are provided to all age groups at no additional cost.

We also encourage parents and relatives to come in and share a story, a song, or a bit of their culture and experience. With a diverse group of parents that includes many international students and faculty, we come across many interesting customs, holidays, and events to share with the children.

Copy of Birth Certificate, Immunizations and Health Examination Required

Certificate of Child Health Examination Form is available from the Illinois Department of Human Services.