PROGRAM OPTIONS

REGISTRATION FORMS

CENTER THEMES

EARLY LITERACY ACTIVITIES

PARENTMAGIC NEWSLETTER MAY '08

BETTER KID CARE NEWSLETTER

PRE-K PARENT ACTIVITIES
PA Early Learning Standards

BIRTH to FIVE PARENT ACTIVITIES
from the United Way of America

Montgomery County
PARENT & INFANT RESOURCE GUIDE
CHILD CARE CONSORTIUM
EARLY INTERVENTION

for

CHILDREN

AGED

18 MONTHS

to

5 YEARS

In our 18-year history, Come Little Children has undergone significant growth and change. We began as an outreach program for Christ Lutheran Church and became a preschool.  When the Easter Seal Society, previously located at C.L.C., announced their plans to construct a new facility in Kulpsville, a group of concerned Christ Lutheran Church members formed a committee to explore the need and viability of establishing a quality child care center program for their members and the surrounding community in the vacancy left by Easter Seal.  The survey findings suggested a true need for a quality child care center in the Kulpsville area.  Through planning, financial, and material support of its congregation and many hours of hard work from the Child Care Board members, Come Little Children opened its doors in September of 1990.

Throughout, our mission has remained constant in its core values. Great care has been taken to stay true to our philosophy while we move forward. Whether you ask a previous graduate, a former director, a current teacher, or a new parent, they are all able to articulate the elements that make Come Little Children a unique preschool. The Director, Sharon Vietmeier shares her vision and continues to build the bond between the church and the center. She has a staff of 8 and currently 30 little ones between the ages of eighteen months and five years old who are enrolled for full day care.

Our mission is an important one. We have the opportunity to make a profound impact on the lives of children and families. Our children live in a complex and confusing world. We must continue to be a dynamic, evolving organization, always seeking to be the best center that we can be.

The Center is licensed by the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare and under the terms of the State Quality Initiative for childcare center, is a grantee of the Pennsylvania Keystone S.T.A.R.S. program. S.T.A.R.S. is a program that requires licensed centers to meet specific benchmarks for proscribed standards within specific timeframes. We are also part of Keystone Stars and are working towards accreditation with this organization. Each benchmark attained carries with it a “star” and the highest ranking is “4 star”. Our Center is a 4 star center and as such, state funding grants meet a number of operational needs for Come Little Children including painting, carpeting, and furniture.

In 1999 and again as of June 2001, Come Little Children received accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) which automatically qualified our center for Pennsylvania’s 4th star. The purpose is to improve the quality of care and education provided for young children in group setting in the United States. The accreditation process is on a volunteer basis and must be renewed every five years. One of NAEYC’s requirements is that a center must have 5% of its slots subsidized.  Again, Come Little Children meets that requirement. Sharon is rather guarded about whether the center will continue to earn NAEYC’s accreditation, as the standards and the costs associated with meeting the standards have increased greatly. One of the main goals is to continue with NAEYC and continue to provide the best quality care for the children in line with state and national standards. For example, by 2020 NAEYC requires that all childcare teachers have 4 year degrees and that all assistants have associate degrees. We are presently seeking re-accreditation and hope to be renewed by 2008.

During the coming year we will seek to become a re-accredited institution. Over the next three to five years, we will evaluate our program to ensure that it best accommodates the varying needs of our families. Curriculum will be refined to better reflect our multicultural community, and we will improve our library, art, and science programs.

A new research component will add to existing knowledge in our field of early childhood education. We will broaden our community outreach initiatives. We will proceed thoughtfully, prioritizing our goals. Come Little Children’s extraordinary staff and parent body has the desire, determination and creative energy to carry this plan forward.

I am deeply committed to the future of Come Little Children Child Care Center. It is an honor to have the opportunity to contribute to the school’s long and proud history. I invite you to join me in the exciting work we are about to undertake.

Come Little Children is continuing to work towards a partnership with Christ Lutheran Church. Many activities and exciting events are planned for the upcoming year! Come Little Children’s Board comprises members of Christ Lutheran. They are Pastor Thomas Kadel, Acting President, Gordon Shearer, Treasurer, and Nancy Stevens.

Please keep the Director, staff and children of our childcare center in your daily prayers. God has blessed us with this very special ministry at Christ Lutheran Church. To learn more about our center, contact the Director, Sharon Vietmeier, by email or call 215-256-6883.

Sharon A. Vietmeier, Director