In the Infant Center we provide our youngest with a safe and nurturing environment where they can thrive and grow into healthy young children. Each child has a primary caregiver who is there to build a secure and loving relationship with them. This relationship is extended to the family so that parents can share and receive vital information about their young one with a familiar teacher. We offer activities and experiences that will support the development of a child’s social, emotional, cognitive and physical growth. In the Infant Center key experiences include the daily rituals that are embedded in the day-to-day caregiving routines. These routines are not rigid but rather flexible and sensitive to the individual needs of the children. The day consists of a balance of self-directed play and teacher initiated activities that include indoor and outdoor play, circle time with singing before meals, teeth brushing after lunch, napping with their own familiar teacher, stories, walks, art, dramatic play, blocks, puzzles and a variety of other age appropriate, fun and engaging activities. Our young children have a variety of opportunities to explore and interact with their environment while teachers support their play throughout the day. Through this play the children learn about themselves and the world around them. When the time is right children will move from the Infant Center into our preschool program in the Children’s Center.

While we see play as a natural medium for learning, we strongly believe that children learn best in a well-balanced daily program of teacher directed activities and child initiated play. The day is planned according to a predictable pattern that paces the activities and takes into account the time of day and the needs of the children. Our daily program is intended to encourage exploration, cooperation, self-discovery, the development of a positive self-esteem and a sense of oneself a successful learner. Everyday children are involved in activities that support the healthy development of their social, emotional, physical and cognitive areas of development. Teachers in this program are a team of men and women, and efforts are made to diversify age, ethnicity, skills, and lifestyles so that we have a representation in staff of the children and families we serve. We also believe that children learn best through healthy relationships with caring adults so teachers strive to develop strong connections with the children in the preschool. It is through this connection teachers can begin to teach children about the world around them and support them in their natural and exciting quest for learning! The skills and experiences children gain while in the Children’s Center lay a solid foundation for their upcoming years in school. Children move into the After School program the summer before they begin Kindergarten.

In our After School program we provide a safe after school haven for our community’s school-age children. We care for children who attend school in the Ross Valley area, grades K-5th. This time in a child’s life is an important period when they develop a sense of who they are, what they can do, and how others perceive them. All activities and experiences for the children in the After School program foster and support the development of a positive self-concept and a sense of independence. Each day a balance of educational, social and recreational opportunities is offered for the children. Teachers provide time for children to explore new ideas, create and maintain friendships, learn new skills and further their understanding of the world around them. In the area of socialization we help children to accept each other’s differences, express themselves in appropriate ways, and cooperatively work out conflicts. In the area of physical development, we help children to experiment and develop new skills, foster a healthy view of competition, and value cooperation. In the area of academics, time is set aside several times a week for children to work on homework with the understanding that parents are still primarily responsible for ensuring their child’s homework is complete. In the area of recreation, we provide daily activities as well as weekly clubs that provide new information combined with traditional after school fun for the children. Our summer program is an exhilarating 10 weeks filled with activities that focus on helping children to maintain academic skills while participating in fun summer-time activities. Every week we add a new and exciting topic pertaining to where we live, the community around us, and around the world in which we all live. For the older children, early California history is also part of the area of study within our summer curriculum. We end each summer with a center-wide communitarian celebration that includes a children’s talent show followed by a potluck dinner.