Child Development Center

“Children are great imitators, so give them something great to imitate.” ~ Anonymous

The Child Development Center is a West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources licensed child care center, serving children ages 6 weeks to 12 years old. The Center has been serving the community for over 20 years and offers a developmentally-based curriculum, designed to meet each child’s needs. The Child Development Center services are available to the children of Concord University’s students, staff, and faculty; as well as, the surrounding community.

Meals

The Center is deeply committed to the well-being of our children and participates in the WV Office of Child Nutrition. Participation in this program ensures the children receive a USDA approved breakfast, lunch and evening snack.

Families

The Childhood Development Center accepts private pay and subsidy program participants, including MountainHeart.

Contact Us

Office: 304-384-6335
Infant/Toddler/Preschool: 304-384-6095
School-Age: 304-384-5386
Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday, 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM

Center Closings

New Year’s Day
Memorial Day
Fourth of July
Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day & Day After
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day

Vision Statement & Mission Statement

Vision Statement

The vision for the Concord University Child Development Center is to complement the services and education objectives of the University by providing an encouraging educational experience; promoting social, emotional, physical and cognitive development for the children of students, staff, faculty, and community members, utilizing culturally and developmentally appropriate practices.

Mission Statement

The ultimate mission of our facility is rooted in both the present and the future. For the present, our goal is for parents to feel good about their childcare choice, and that the children are safe, engaged and smiling. In the future, we want the children to warmly look back at their experience with us, and see it as a cherished part of their childhood.

Program & Curriculum

Curriculum

The Concord University Child Development Center currently uses Creative Curriculum©. The philosophy behind Creative Curriculum© is that young children learn best by doing. Learning is not just repeating what someone else says. It requires active thinking and experimenting to find out how things work and to learn firsthand about the world we live in. In their early years, children explore the world around them by using all of their senses: touch, taste, sound, sight, and smell. In using real materials, such as blocks, and trying out their ideas, children learn about sizes, shapes, and colors and they notice relationships between things. In time, they learn to use one object to stand for another. This is the beginning of symbolic thinking. Gradually children become more and more able to use abstract symbols like words to describe their thoughts and feelings. They learn to “read” pictures which are symbols of real people, places and things. This exciting development in symbolic thinking takes place during the pre-school years as children play. The activities planned for children, the way the environment is organized, the selection of toys and materials, the daily schedule, and how we talk with children, are all designed to accomplish the goals of the curriculum and give your child a successful start in school.

Infant Room: 6 Weeks – 2 Years Old

We’ve designed an environment that fosters the daily development of infants minds and body. More than just a day care, your little one starts his or her learning journey with us, creating a bond in a setting that feels like family.

Each day your child will be using all five senses; copying simple actions of people around them; experimenting with toy instruments; exploring textures, colors; and learning a variety of words and sounds through playing with other children.

Toddler Room: 2 – 3 Years Old

Toddlers learn through songs, games, and pictures. We place an emphasis on helping them remember sounds and patterns, developing hand-eye coordination, and problem solving (via blocks, dolls, interactive puzzles, etc.) as they are ready.

Preschool: 3 – 5 Years Old

Preschool age is where our littlest people really start to grow. Attention spans increase, numbers and letters become recognizable, and problems begin to be solved. Emotions are expressed more clearly, relationships with others are formed, and the joy of the achievement becomes something to strive for. The preschool program introduces language, math, science, and social skills in a natural sequence to nourish learning one step at a time, with individual attention suited to your child’s unique needs. Each day at our Center preschoolers explore science experiments, create artwork, and play character and movement games. In this way, they learn to follow directions and other key skills for learning success.

School-Age: Kindergarten – 12 Years Old

Our before and after-school child development program allows kindergarten and school-age children to balance learning and fun through a variety of experiences; from homework assistance to fun physical activities. The on campus Bonner Program offers individual assistance with homework while providing opportunities rich in culture and diversity.

Tutoring

Tutoring assistance is provided through the on-campus Bonner Program, when requested, for all of the Center’s school-age children.

International Series

Children experience the culture and diversity of other countries, as they explore the world with our international students.

Bonner Scholars

We are fortunate to have our Bonners scholars from Concord University to provide one-on-one activities with our children, through reading, playing games or just listening. The Bonner Program provides students each year with financial scholarships to support academic endeavors at the University. The students then provide support to their communities through service work, in addition to participating in leadership and personal development activities. The Bonner Program, when requested, provides tutoring services for all of the Center’s school-age children.

Early Childhood Education Visits

The best teaching occurs when joining a child in hands-on interactions of play and discovery and through observations. Part of the Early Childhood Education program course work, at Concord University, is to observe in a childcare setting. The Early Childhood Education students, along with their professors, visit the Center to observe and implement lesson plans within the classrooms.

Summer Reading Program

During the summer, Concord’s Early Childhood Education students provide the opportunity for the children to discover the LOVE of reading. They provide activities from reading to flannel board stories to music to games. The children quickly experience the joy of their own imagination.

Field Trips

The Campus Beautiful is our playground – we have the privilege of visiting the Library, Science Center, gym, and theater, as well as exploring the many other areas of the campus. The Athens Park is also just steps away.

Special Presentations

The center invites people within the community for special visits. Special visits have included: Pipestem Nature Center, Princeton Library, Athens Fire Department, Members from the WVVA weather team, Yolanda’s Pet Grooming, and others within the community.