Program Information

Our Mission

The First Presbyterian Church Child Development Center provides a stimulating and nurturing learning environment where the developmental needs of each child are met through play, creative learning, and spiritual growth in a Christian setting. We strive to help every child grow as an individual while providing a warm and loving environment that still meets the highest standards of care.

Philosphy & Purpose

 

First Presbyterian Church Child Development Center is an outreach ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Raleigh. The center was established because of the church’s desire to offer excellent care for all children. The purpose of the Child Development Center is to provide working parents in the community with a child care program for infants through 5-year-olds that embodies developmental experiences in keeping with the highest quality of early childhood education. We are a private center, licensed by the state of North Carolina, with school policies set by an advisory Board that is composed of church members from committees of the church including: Personnel, Budget and Finance, Property and Insurance, Christian Education and a member-at-large.

As an agency of the First Presbyterian Church, the Center provides a Christian atmosphere where children can grow socially, physically, intellectually and spiritually and where attention will be given to the individual needs of each child. Each child is seen as a unique individual created by God and is encouraged to develop an awareness and love of God. We strive to help every child grow as an individual while providing a warm and loving environment that still meets the highest standards of care. Each child shall have the freedom to express, experience and develop his/her own self-concept, character and potential at his/her own pace in a happy, informal atmosphere.

Our curriculum is designed to provide the Christian foundation in which children can develop. With a structured day and a team of experienced educators, every opportunity will be provided for a child to feel secure as they discover the world around them. Children will experience a variety of rotating materials and experiences. Our daily activities are designed to provide a balance of experiences and are based on weekly themes and the developmental goals that we have set for each age group. Children learn though direct participation with the environment. They develop at their own pace though self-directed play: choosing their own areas for learning by using available materials. Learning is an active process for young children; therefore, instruction provides for active exploration, concrete experiences in a rich environment, and many language experiences to foster learning. We believe in giving a child new challenges and experiences when they are ready to successfully understand and complete them while maintaining a healthy self-esteem. When early education is guided by their own natural ambition, children learn to love learning for all of life.

 

Our faculty consists of early childhood educators who are dedicated to providing long tenure and the most stability for teacher-child relationships. Qualified to assist preschoolers in developing skills and readiness for academic learning, each faculty member has a genuine love of children and respect for individual differences. In addition, our faculty has access to the most current research and material related to early childhood development.

Our curriculum is designed to provide the Christian foundation in which children can develop. With a structured day and a team of experienced educators, every opportunity will be provided for a child to feel secure as they discover the world around them. Children will experience a variety of rotating materials and experiences. Our daily activities are designed to provide a balance of experiences and are based on weekly themes and the developmental goals that we have set for each age group. Children learn though direct participation with the environment. They develop at their own pace though self-directed play: choosing their own areas for learning by using available materials. Learning is an active process for young children; therefore, instruction provides for active exploration, concrete experiences in a rich environment, and many language experiences to foster learning. We believe in giving a child new challenges and experiences when they are ready to successfully understand and complete them while maintaining a healthy self-esteem. When early education is guided by their own natural ambition, children learn to love learning for all of life.

Our faculty consists of early childhood educators who are dedicated to providing long tenure and the most stability for teacher-child relationships. Qualified to assist preschoolers in developing skills and readiness for academic learning, each faculty member has a genuine love of children and respect for individual differences. In addition, our faculty has access to the most current research and material related to early childhood development.

More Info About the CDC

History of the CDC

The First Presbyterian Church Child Development Center opened on November 1, 2001. First Presbyterian Church sponsors the CDC by providing a safe and secure facility, a rotating Advisory Board that is made up of church members, and numerous events of which CDC families can participate.

One of the unique features of the FPC CDC is its role in the wider community of First Presbyterian Church. First Presbyterian considers the Child Development Center to be an absolutely vital part of its mission in the Raleigh area, as well as a wonderful service for member families seeking quality childcare and spiritual support. The strong commitment on the part of this dynamic, growing church is one of our greatest assets. Our students instantly become part of a supportive, loving, Christian community upon enrollment.

First Presbyterian Church intends for the CDC to be an outreach mission to the community. CDC families are not required to attend First Presbyterian Church, but they are certainly welcome guests!

Since opening in 2001, First Presbyterian Church CDC has maintained a positive reputation for providing high quality care in the Raleigh downtown community.

Children to Teacher Ratios

Infants: 8 children, 2 full-time teachers

Waddlers: 8 children, 2 full-time teachers

Toddlers: 10 children, 2 full-time teachers

Twos: 12 children, 2 full-time teachers

Threes: 12 children, 2 full-time teachers

Fours: 12 children, 2 full-time teachers

Pre-K: 12 children to 2 full-time teachers

Faculty & Staff

We have 14 full-time teachers, four support staff members, and substitutes. Parent volunteers are encouraged.

Support staff allow children to have more frequent, meaningful interactions with adults, and equips teachers to have the support needed to provide the highest quality of care.

All of the teachers at the First Presbyterian Church Child Development Center have at least earned the NC Early Childhood Credential. More than 75% of our staff are degreed teachers. We also encourage all remaining staff to further their education and work toward achieving degrees, with course work paid by the CDC with assistance from the NC TEACH Scholarship Program.

Staff attend the NCAEYC (North Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children) Conference yearly to get up-to-date information and ideas to enrich our curriculum, and to network with others in our field.

All of our teachers are CPR/First Aid certified.

Licensed Center

FPC CDC maintains a Star Rated License with the NC Division of Child Development. The Center accepts and implements the criteria for quality programs set forth by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. We offer a developmentally-appropriate program, implemented with attention to children’s differing needs, interests, and abilities.

The NC Division of Child Development and Early Education regulates all licensed childcare in the state and instituted the star-rated licensing program as a way to offer parents more information on the quality of available child-care options. All child-care centers and family child-care homes that are licensed now also receive a star rating. Our center works to exemplify excellence and quality in the following areas: compliance history, faculty education, teacher/child ratios, program indicators of best practices, and program management.

Questions?

CDc@fpcraleigh.org
(919) 821-1845