Child Development Center expanding to better serve students, faculty, community
Big changes have occurred at the ACC Child Development Center, and they stand to help students, both young and old, in a variety of ways.
Recent donations to the CDC, as well as collaborative efforts with the Early Childhood Education department at ACC, have enabled the CDC to undergo major expansions in classroom space.
The center soon will complete the construction, bringing it to five classrooms, providing room for more children. The center is looking to double its current enrollment and, at this time, there is not a waiting list.
Currently, the CDC accepts children ages 2-5 and offers a Preschool to Pre-K curriculum starting at age 3.
ACC Nursing student Andy Steiner is at the CDC for a pediatrics class
The center is available for the children of students and staff, with remaining available enrollment offered to the surrounding community. It has flexible enrollment schedules, offering two, three or five full days that can be tailored to fit with parents’ schedules.
The only caveat: Children must arrive by 9 a.m., and with good reason. The center is set up like a school environment. The children are served breakfast, then dive into a fun regimen of scheduled activities.
“This way parents can have some free time to study and do homework before class,” said Kimberly Steele, director of the center. Another option would be for the parent to use the ACC Fitness Center.
One of the changes made while transforming the space from college to daycare is the addition of observation rooms. The rooms have large two-way mirror windows that offer views into two classrooms at once.
These are not just for parents who wish to see how their children are doing. They also enable students in the ECE program to observe the interaction between the teachers and children. With parents and observers in a different room, space in the classrooms is is freed up. This allows for an unfettered interaction between the children and their teachers, and many more adult students can observe.
The center offers a discounted tuition rate to the children of ACC students. Also, a stipend is available to the students of ACC that will assist with childcare tuition. It is awarded on a need-based status and requires a minimum 2.5 GPA, current enrollment and a short essay.