Children's Community Development Center
Where Learning Begins
- We are a non-profit, educational childcare center serving families with children from infancy through their preschool years
- We provide enrichment and support to families and children who live or work in mid-Fairfield County, Connecticut
- We provide year round care in five unique programs to embrace our child and family centered philosophy
About Us
In the late 1970’s several employees of the Westport Public Schools began discussing the possibility of developing an early childhood center for their young children. They sought to establish “…a quality early childhood care and education center involving a high degree of parent participation…with consistent loving care…[a] daycare [that] serves as an extended family, offering enrichment and support that can be beneficial for parent and child alike.”
This parent group came together with the Child Care Council, a non-profit agency interested in expanding quality childcare, and the Westport Infant Toddler Center was established to meet the needs of working families. The program opened in 1979 with five children and two teachers in a classroom at the Greens Farms Elementary School.
In 1980, our founders came together with other organizations serving children and their families to form the Parent Child Center at the Hillspoint School. The additional space in the new building enabled the Westport Infant Toddler Center to expand its program to serve younger infants and preschoolers. To reflect the broader scope of the services, the name was changed to the Children’s Community Daycare Center (CCDC). The high standards for quality early care and education in an intimate environment remained as constants in this transition.
In 1988, CCDC was granted accreditation from the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs, among the first early childhood programs in the nation to achieve this status. In 2004, the name of the program changed to the Children’s Community Development Center.
Small Classroom Sizes
We pride ourselves in our staff-to-child ratios, to accomodate individual needs and better serve your child.
The Creative Curriculum
Our teachers use several tools and resources to meet individual and program goals.
Classroom Standards
Our curriculum incorporates well-established practices from CT's Early Learning & Development Standards.
Staff-Parent Communication
Our digital daycare platform allows you to stay constantly updated with classroom activities, announcements, and more.
Founded
in 1979, CCDC is located in a former elementary school on seven acres,
including large open fields behind the building. We are open twelve
months a year from 7:15 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Children
arrive between 7:15 and 9:15 in the morning and depart between 3:00 and 5:20 in
the afternoon according to the preferences and needs of their families. The majority of children attend five days per
week. However, a few three-day schedules
are also available. There are 60 children enrolled in five different
programs.
CCDC is non-profit and governed by
a Board of Directors representing current families, staff and members of the
community. We embrace a philosophy
that is child and family centered. Our curriculum is play-based and developmentally
appropriate. Decisions about activities presented to children emerge from the
highest standards in the field of early childhood care and education and are
negotiated by the expressed interests, passions, and contributions of
children. Our decisions about
curriculum are guided by the CT Early Learning and Development Standards. We
recognize that the relationships that children form with teachers, peers, and
most-importantly, their families determine the nature of their experience.
Children are provided with
opportunities to play and learn in their classrooms, large indoor play areas,
and outside on our playground and surrounding fields.
Classrooms environments and daily schedules are designed for children of
various ages and adapted as needed to support their growth, development and
expressed needs. Teachers provide supervision, support and facilitation
to children as they explore, investigate, discover and learn.
The
average tenure of our full-time teachers
is eight years and 90% have college degrees, nearly all at Bachelor’s or
Master’s levels. The Director has been at CCDC since 1981. She has a Master’s in
Early Childhood Education, holds a CT Director’s Credential at the Master
level, and is a member of the CT Early Childhood Cabinet and State Advisory
Council.
Enrichment activities
include music, physical education, art, Spanish, Animal Embassy, Occupational
and Speech Therapy, and play groups with a clinical/school psychologist. Field trips for the Preschool 4’s Class include
the Westport Library, Westport Fire Headquarters, and Burying Hill Beach with
Animal Embassy.
CCDC is accredited by
the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the most
recognized and respected indicator of high quality. CCDC has
been accredited without interruption since 1988, the first program in Westport
– and one of the first in the country – to achieve this status.
In
2014, we were recognized as a Certified Nature Explore Classroom, a symbol
of our commitment to enrich children’s lives with meaningful outdoor
experiences.
In January 2015, CCDC was selected as the
inaugural Cooperative Learning Lab
School for the Early Childhood Program at the University of Connecticut,
Stamford Campus. Interns and student
teachers observe and interact with children as part of their course requirements.
CCDC is
endorsed as an Eco-Health Child Care by the Children’s Environmental Health
Network, a national program that ensures child care settings are as happy,
healthy, safe and green as possible by reducing children’s exposure to toxins.
Enrollment
CCDC enrolls sixty-three children each year in our five programs. Families are referred through friends, family members, colleagues, realtors, information & referral agencies or internet research. Children are placed in individual programs by the year of their birth and remain with the same cohort of peers throughout their enrollment. Transitions are limited to once per year. The continuity within the groups and the limited transitions supports relationships among children as well as among their families.
Application for Enrollment Families interested in enrollment are required to visit and meet with the Director prior to submitting an application. Our application can be completed online here.
Families with Infants should also complete a supplemental application to be submitted along with the main application. The application for the Infant Program can be downloaded here in PDF fillable format.
We welcome all inquiries!
What Parents say
This program is top notch. The teachers, the quality of the programming, the facilities – we could not be be happier with the experiences we’ve had with this community, and how our children are developing as a result of the dedication from the staff at CCDC.
CCDC has a warm and caring atmosphere that lets kids be kids while still making sure they learn and develop along the way. After 3 years we feel as though CCDC is an extension of our family and couldn’t imagine sending our kids anywhere else
The staff and Director all want your child to succeed and make every effort to help guide the children through their development in a caring and supportive environment.
The program is caring, interactive and thoughtful. Every activity and experience for the children is intentional and meant to invoke thought and curiosity
I feel there is a real sense of “community” in the program. Parents and teachers work together and support each other. There is a warm, nurturing philosophy in place, which translates to a “home-like” environment. My daughter has benefited greatly from her experience at CCDC.
The loving attitude of the staff continues to be an amazing strength of the program. They also really respond to each child as an individual and really encourage their creativity, imagination and desire to learn.jk-water-play
We chose CCDC for its child-centered philosophy, caring staff, beautiful environment. We did a lot of research and wanted the best for our child. We stay because we made the right match for our family and our child is so happy with his first school experience.
This is simple, CCDC is our home away from home. We are convinced that there is no other program in the universe that can compare. This is the most outstanding early childhood education program and we are the luckiest family to have been a part of it for so many years.
I continue to choose CCDC because the outlook of the director and teachers is always “How can we do the BEST thing for your child?” Not the thing that is easiest or fastest or that we know the most about, but always what is the best thing.
CCDC has a warm and caring atmosphere that lets kids be kids while still making sure they learn and develop along the way. After 3 years we feel as though CCDC is an extension of our family and couldn’t imagine sending our kids anywhere else.
This program is top notch. The teachers, the quality of the programming, the facilities – we could not be be happier with the experiences we’ve had with this community, and how our children are developing as a result of the dedication from the staff at CCDC.
The staff fosters the highest degree of independence and self-esteem. They offer consistency in supporting social skills development and emotional intelligence – while encouraging the joy of life! We can’t say enough.
We chose CCDC because you are the BEST preschool in town! We stay because we love the staff, the rooms, playground, the atmosphere and the love and caring the teachers give to our daughter.
I loved CCDC the very MOMENT I stepped foot in the door over five years ago! Once we became part of the CCDC family, we knew that this was THE place for our children.
For eleven years, CCDC has been an outstanding place for our three children. The teachers consistently provide safe, nurturing and engaging care. These teachers are superior professionals, who are dedicated, kind and smart. They consistently impress us with their skill, education and expertise. My husband and I have learned from them over the years. Eileen, the Director, is an exceptional and natural leader. She is an excellent role model for the staff and parents. She knows so well how to deal with children. She brings out the best in her staff, parents and kids.
My husband and I were taken by CCDC as soon as we walked in the door for our first visit — the facilities are spacious, bright, and well maintained, and the easy access to outdoor space is a huge advantage. We’ve grown to love it more and more each eyar. The director is caring, patient, and dedicated. He commitment to staff education is inspiring, and I feel confident that the environment at CCDC is thoughtfully constructed and constantly evolving to be the very best it can be for the children.
CCDC does a phenomenal job in the 5 main areas my family looks for in a preschool program. 1) Safety. We like the fact that our child is in a very safe environment while in CCDC’s care. 2)Caring. The CCDC staff cares very much about each child’s needs and provides the individualized support we look for. 3) Nurturing environment. 4) Stimulating environment. The stage is set for quality learning to happen once all the above conditions are present. 5) Emphasis on play to learn & learn to play. We love the fun and compassionate environment our child’s socialization happens in.
The CCDC program is well customized for each kid and we love the combination of indoor and outdoor activities. Some other schools seem to focus too much on children’s academic but we want ourkids to be creative and nice to each other. In this sense, we love the curriculum at CCDC.
It’s a warm, loving environment with dedicated and highly trained staff who love what they do. Their goal is providing our child with an authentic experience to what it means to be a child. No gimmicks. It’s about letting them be children, letting them explore and providing them with a safe and warm nurturing environment to find out who they are.
Love that the program allows for closer relationships given its smaller size. CCDC provides a nurturing learning environment for both child and parent.
CCDC provides the ideal environment for children to learn and grow. The school constantly strives to strike the right balance to meet the mental, emotional and intellectual needs of children.
It’s the best program that we have seen, no contest. Personal attention, lots of involvement from families, everyone knows, loves, and supports our children and their development.
My child feels a tremendous amount of love at CCDC. I am always amazed by the patience of teachers at CCDC and how they value each child as an individual.
The staff and Director all want your child to succeed and make very effort to help guide the children through their development in a caring and supportive environment.
The program is caring, interactive and thoughtful. Every activity and experience for the children is intentional and meant to invoke thought and curiosity.
There is an objective for all the ages. It is all about play as learning so kids gain confidence. The Director is passionate and extremely educated when it comes to early childhood education which sets the tone for the school. It is a positive place.
Best choice we ever made! Worth every penny!
I have never had a moment of doubt or concern about the top-notch level of care that my children have received at CCDC.
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