Children's Enrichment Center

Deaconess offers three child care locations for the employees of Deaconess Health System:

• DCEC - Midtown
• DCEC - East
• DCEC - Henderson

We strive to offer children a warm, inviting and child-centered environment in which they can explore, discover and grow.
 
Our Mission Statement
Children who come to Deaconess Children’s Enrichment Centers build a strong foundation for a lifetime of learning.  We provide Deaconess Health System employees with an excellent, year-round educational program.  Our mission is to promote the children’s social/emotional, physical, cognitive and language growth and development by offering:

• child-centered, active learning environments
• well-educated and experienced teachers
• lower group size
• developmentally focused classrooms

Our Educational Philosophy
In our full-service program, children from six weeks to five years are loved and nurtured by compassionate teachers.  We believe children are born with many natural talents and abilities.  As early childhood educators, we build on knowledge children already possess.  Young children learn best by hands-on experience guided by knowledgeable and caring teachers.  It looks like “play”-but it is play that is orchestrated with purpose and intent.
 
Our Teachers
Our teachers go through a rigorous interview process to ensure they are able to meet the developmental and emotional needs of your child.  All of our head teachers and many of our assistant teachers have an early childhood credential, ranging from a Child Development Associate (CDA) degree to a Master’s Degree.  Our goal is to provide exceptional early childhood education for each child.  This is accomplished through the dedication and expertise of our staff. 
 
Our Curriculum
Our program is influenced by the Reggio Approach which is an educational philosophy that originated from Reggio Emilia, Italy. This approach is a social constructivist curriculum that focuses on the collaborative nature of learning. The use of long-term projects with small groups of children is a significant curriculum strategy, and the children’s use of many symbolic languages is emphasized.

The projects that the teachers and children engage in are distinct in a number of ways.  Study topics may come directly from observations teachers have made during the children’s play and exploration, or they may be selected on a basis of an academic curiosity or social concern.  Since children enjoy investigation and discovery, successful projects encourage creative thinking and problem-solving.  This kind of learning extends beyond the classroom to each child’s home, community, nation and the world.

The Midtown and East centers use Teaching Strategies GOLD, which is an ongoing observational system for assessing children from birth through kindergarten. It helps teachers to observe children in the context of every day experiences, which is an effective way to learn what they know and can do.  Teaching Strategies GOLD is based on 38 objectives for development and learning that include predictors of school success and are based on school readiness standards.
 
In addition, Midtown and East use Second Step, a social skills curriculum, for our preschool classrooms.  It is a research-based program that teaches children skills in empathy, social problem-solving and emotional management.  These are critical skills for children’s success in school.
 
The Henderson center uses the Creative Curriculum, which is a content-rich and developmentally appropriate, early childhood curriculum. The Creative Curriculum includes goals and objectives for children within four main categories of interest: social/emotional, physical, cognitive and language. This curriculum honors creativity and respects the role that teachers play in making learning exciting and relevant for every child.

Hours of Operation
Midtown and East: 
Open Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM 
Closed on the following holidays:

• New Year’s Day
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (for staff professional development)
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Veteran’s Day (for staff professional development)
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas

Henderson: 
Open Monday through Friday, 5:45 AM to 6:30 PM
Closed on the following holidays:

• New Year’s Eve
• New Year’s Day
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Black Friday
• Thanksgiving
• Christmas Eve
• Christmas

Fees and Payments

Weekly fees are based on the child’s classroom- infant, toddler or preschool (contact us for more information regarding fees for attending).  A non-refundable registration fee is required upon enrollment.  After the first year, a modest supply fee is charged annually.  There is a tuition discount when more than one child in a family is enrolled.  This discount applies to the oldest child.

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