Our Programs
Mission
USC Child Care Programs provides reliable, high-quality group care that promotes and enhances each child's development and enables parents to focus on working and learning each day with assurance and peace of mind.
Vision
Each child in our care will have the best day possible, every day.
Nothing compares to the relationship a child has with his or her parents. When parents choose group care for their children, the strong bonds that are made with the teachers/caregivers who are responsive and nurturing can contribute to a child becoming more confident and emotionally secure. When children feel secure, they are more likely to explore, take risks and make connections with others. Our programs nurture each child's development in an active learning community. Teachers and children respect individual differences and create an atmosphere where children learn to live and work cooperatively. The activities are structured to help the ideas, interests, skills, opinions, and curiosities of the children flourish. Creative work focuses on the importance of process rather than product. Both planned and spontaneous activities provide each child with hands-on learning experiences and opportunities for discovery.
We strive to build a strong family and teacher/caregiver partnership. Parents are invited to participate in all areas of their child's day and are encouraged to discuss their care preferences with program staff. Staff members work in teams to develop and implement an environment that nurtures children and families and respects the unique qualities of each child.
Philosophy Statement
We believe children are unique individuals whose ideas, interests and skills flourish in an environment where play is the primary context for learning and daily activities are appropriate for each child's individual development.
We are committed to developmentally appropriate practice as defined by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Developmentally appropriate programs are those that consider three important types of information in all aspects of decision-making. These are:
- What is known about how children develop and learn;
- Each individual child's strengths, interests and needs; and
- The social and cultural contexts in which children live.
We believe curriculum planning emerges from both an understanding of child development and observations of the children interacting with materials, other children and adults. Teachers respond to and support each child's individual development with opportunities for both child-initiated and teacher-planned experiences.
Teachers form attachment-based relationships with each child as the foundation for the child's learning and development.
We place a strong emphasis on social-emotional growth and development.
Developmentally appropriate practice means there is no one "formula" that will work for all children. Therefore, teachers must adapt their materials, experiences and strategies to meet children's individual needs.
Developmentally appropriate practice also means a setting where play is the major activity. Play is a young child's natural learning mechanism. Play helps children understand the world, interact socially and express and control their emotions. Play allows children to expand their language and symbolic thinking skills. Through play, children can take on new roles, attempt challenging tasks and practice new skills. Play also gives adults insight into children's developmental level and interests.
Developmentally appropriate practice is based on the assumption that children will need to communicate effectively, work well with others, problem-solve, gather and interpret information in increasingly complex ways and easily adapt to new situations when they are adults. The development of these social-emotional competencies is fostered through modeling and facilitation of positive social exchanges. Children learn to express their feelings, understand the feelings of others and develop a strong sense of self, which creates a foundation for later relationships. Therefore, daily activities promote competence, self-worth, health, resilience and self-awareness. Diversity is honored and celebrated. Children are exposed to multicultural traditions and languages. Through our programs, children gain valuable life skills as well as pre-academic competencies that help prepare them for the future.
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