Program philosophy: We have carefully designed an environment that encourages the social, emotional, intellectual, and physical development of young children. We offer an open-classroom format where children have opportunities to initiate their own activities and take responsibility for completing them. The ability to initiate learning through purposeful play serves as the foundation for lifelong learning skills necessary for personal, academic, and professional success. The program includes certified teachers and age-appropriate curriculum.
Accreditation: The UCSD Early Childhood Education Center (ECEC) is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).
ECEC provides:
- A safe, secure, and nurturing environment that attends to the physical needs and comfort of each child
- Indoor and outdoor learning centers challenging children to actively explore their environment by engaging their curiosity and interests
- A community of children of varying ages, social, and cultural backgrounds who help each other create and expand on new interests through cooperative explorations
- A community of adults who form a secure social resource for facilitating the development of interpersonal relations, encouraging the exploration of new materials, supporting thoughtful, creative decision making, and expanding opportunities for individual and cooperative play
- Nutritious daily breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack
Enrollment forms and documentation: Upon enrollment at the center, parents must complete an Enrollment Packet (PDF) for each child and provide specific documentation before children begin instruction. Parents of children who qualify for Subsidized Enrollment (PDF) must also complete additional forms.
Staff: Classrooms are staffed with one lead teacher and the state Department of Education's required number of assistant teachers based on classroom size and child-to-adult ratio. The director oversees center operations including teaching, administrative, office support, and kitchen functions. Our staff members are carefully chosen for their outstanding training and child care background. Newly selected staff members are required to attend an ECEC orientation (Word file) and provide specific documentation before beginning work at the center.
State license numbers: The Early Childhood Education Center's State of California Child Community Care license numbers are 372006398 and 372006399.
