Our Programs

Our Infant Program is built around providing a warm, responsive, and nurturing environment where infants feel secure and valued. Teachers follow each child’s unique cues, rhythms, and interests to create personalized care routines that support development. Through gentle interactions and close observation, caregivers build strong, trusting relationships that form the foundation for healthy emotional growth. This approach to responsive caregiving ensures that every infant’s needs are met with sensitivity and respect, reinforcing their sense of safety and belonging. Learning at this stage is primarily sensory-based—infants explore their world through touch, sound, movement, and sight. Our curriculum focuses on promoting early communication and social skills through frequent one-on-one interactions, songs, and verbal engagement. Teachers emphasize social-emotional development, helping infants feel safe and confident as they explore. Daily activities are designed to encourage motor skills, from tummy time to reaching, grasping, and crawling. We view each infant as a capable, curious learner and support their natural growth through loving, developmentally appropriate care that fosters trust and security. 

The Toddler Program supports children as they begin to assert independence, explore their environment, and express their thoughts and feelings. Our teachers create a safe and flexible space where toddlers are encouraged to make choices, follow their interests, and practice new skills. Teachers guide playful investigations that build on toddlers’ natural interests and curiosity, encouraging deeper engagement and meaningful learning through exploration and discovery. Consistent routines, simple language, and gentle redirection help toddlers begin to understand limits and develop self-regulation. Language development is a major focus at this age, with teachers modeling words, engaging in conversations, and reading books daily. Toddlers are also building important physical abilities, so we provide many opportunities for climbing, running, and fine motor activities like stacking and sorting. Social-emotional learning is woven into everyday moments as children practice turn-taking, expressing feelings, and interacting with peers. Our program nurtures growing confidence and prepares toddlers for the next stage of learning. 

Our Preschool Program offers an engaging, hands-on environment where children explore, discover, and grow through intentional play and guided learning. Using The Creative Curriculum, teachers plan in-depth studies that integrate subjects like Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM) around themes that interest the children—such as bugs, buildings, or weather. Children are encouraged to think critically, ask questions, and work collaboratively in small groups, laying the foundation for lifelong learning. The classroom is organized into interest areas (like blocks, dramatic play, or writing), and daily schedules include extended time for open-ended exploration and decision-making. Teachers provide just the right amount of support to challenge each child and build new skills through thoughtful questions and activities. Emphasis is placed on developing strong social-emotional skills, such as cooperation, problem-solving, and empathy. Physical development is also supported through both fine motor tasks and active outdoor play.

The Child and Family Center plans to pursue participation in the California Child and Adult Food Program (CACFP), a federal nutrition program that regularly monitors food quality and service. For children 1 year and older, we offer a full meal program serving breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack at no additional cost to families. We partner with Campus Dining Services to provide well-balanced, nutritious meals for the children that support their overall growth and development. Meals are prepared daily and served family-style. For children under 1 year old, the Center provides pureed food to meet the nutritional needs of our infants. This reflects our commitment to quality assurance and ensures that our meals served meet state and federal nutritional standards and that all children have access to healthy, growing foods.

At the Child and Family Center, we are dedicated to creating a warm, loving, and engaging learning environment for every child. Our approach is guided by the principles of Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP)—a research-based philosophy that ensures all teaching decisions are grounded in three key areas: 1. Age-Appropriateness: We know what activities and expectations are typically suited for children in a specific age range. 2. Individual-Appropriateness: We get to know each child's unique strengths, interests, and needs to customize their learning. 3. Cultural-Appropriateness: We honor and incorporate each child's family, culture, and language into the classroom experience. To implement this philosophy, we use The Creative Curriculum as our comprehensive teaching framework. This curriculum is explicitly play-based, allowing learning to happen organically through hands-on exploration and discovery. We use long-term, engaging "Studies" (projects based on topics children are interested in, like buildings and insects). Through these activities, the children actively develop skills across all essential domains, ensuring that each day is filled with meaningful play that is intentionally planned to help every child achieve their full potential.