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Children's Aid & Family Service
Child Care Center
Children’s Aid Child Care Center has 30 years’ experience in providing licensed, group-based child care to area families. Located in Fitchburg, the center is open 55 hours per week, from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm to accommodate families on a full-day, full-year basis.
The center is organized into six classrooms accommodating 84 children, ages 15 months to five years. Each classroom is staffed with a team of two teachers, qualified by the Office of Child Care Services, and a classroom aide.
Children’s Aid Child Care Center firmly believes that positive experiences in the early childhood years lay the foundation for a lifetime of growth and productivity. It is during these years that children are introduced to the world. With the help of a high-quality, early childhood program, children can become proactive participants in their own development. The Children’s Aid Child Care Center continually refines its practices and redefines what quality child care is. Early Childhood Education is a partnership between child, parent, and center. The first priority of the Children’s Aid Child Care Center is to provide quality child care to parents who are trying to build a better life for their families and thrive on support and understanding.
Program Features
- We provide transportation according to need.
- Our staff / child ratio is lower than state licensing standards. We also use floating substitutes to achieve higher quality with smaller groups.
- We use our Agency's Family Day Care program for continuity of care for children under 15 months and over 5 years.
- We incorporate family activities into our curriculum to increase parent involvement.
- We offer parent support and education groups.
- We contract with behavioral specialists to help teachers deal with difficult issues such as violence and substance abuse.
- We employ a Family Service Coordinator who acts as an advocate for families and children in meeting special needs.
- We have developed a resource library containing curriculum books, articles, newsletters, and parent resources to be used by staff and families.
- We collaborate with numerous community resources to meet the diverse needs of our population.
The Learning Experience
The Children's Aid Child Care Center teaching methods and standards are based on the recommendations of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The center provides a curriculum that maximizes resources and addresses the development of the whole child. Dramatic play, art, and construction are incorporated into the learning process as well as computer training and Yoga classes. The center takes advantage of local resources such as the local library, art museum, planetarium, farms, gardening centers, and vocational high schools. Social skills are developed through visitations of senior citizen centers, downtown parks, local businesses, and through programs that guide the children toward a non-violent approach to conflict resolution and to encourage tolerance and understanding of others.
The center is equipped with a full-service kitchen and each child is provided with a hot breakfast, lunch, and a nutritious snack at no cost to the parent. Cooking experiences such as baking bread, and making soups and nutritious snacks are integrated into the learning process as well as to address nutritional requirements.
Parent Participation
Children's Aid Child Care Center encourages parents' involvement and parents are welcome to visit the center at any time to talk, observe, or take part in their child's day. Parents are routinely invited on field trips, informed of job openings, and are encouraged to actively participate in special events such as our yearly open house. Communication is conducted over the phone, in person, or through parent mailboxes. Formal communication such as monthly newsletters, Letters from the Director, and informal day-to-day chats is used to keep parents up to date on center issues and to build trusting relationships.
Our Family Service Coordinator actively encourages parents to share their needs with us, and works to refer families to any outside resources they may need. Parent support groups are held bi-monthly, promoting communication and problem solving. A parent bulletin board and library of articles, brochures, and books addressing parenting issues are available to parents. A suggestion box is available to exchange ideas and gather information. Each parent receives a formal report every six months and conferences are routinely scheduled according to need and with the parent's availability in mind.
Financial Support
Children's Aid Child Care Center has enjoyed a Public/Private Partnership with the United Way of North Central Mass for several years. In the past, funds received from the United Way have been used to subsidize tuition of families who do not meet income eligible requirements but show a need for support.
Accreditation
Children’s Aid Child Care Center has earned accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the nation’s leading organization of early childhood professionals.
For more information on placement in the Children’s Aid Child Care Center, call 978.342.8971.
Children's Aid & Family Service |
Copyright © 2006 Seven Hills Foundation. All Rights Reserved.
