Zion’s Early Learning Center has a long history of serving parents with young children. The program opened in the early 1970s as a nursery school. Then, in order to meet the needs of working parents, an after school program for the kindergarten and nursery school children of Zion School began. As the school and community grew, so did the center. It began offering full day care during the school year. Eventually, a summer program was added in 1986 with enrollment increasing off and on over the years. Meanwhile, a need arose for the care of infants and toddlers, also. Based on that need and the requests of families enrolled in Zion Child Care and Zion School, an infant/toddler program was initiated in 1990. As a result, many children have grown up and participated in Zion programs.
Purpose
The purpose of Zion’s Early Learning Center is to share the love of God by caring for infants and young children in a loving, nurturing manner while providing opportunities for their spiritual, physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and creative growth. The qualified staff promotes Christian values and provides a safe environment for the childrens’ growth. Children of all faiths are welcome at the center.
Philosophy
We believe that:
- Each child is a unique person created by God. Each child has his/her own interests, capabilities and gifts. Therefore, the staff seeks to guide and encourage individual development in all areas; spiritual, physical, intellectual, social, emotional, and creativity, through developmentally appropriate activities.
- Children learn best in a safe environment with a loving, caring atmosphere. The staff is focused on providing this kind of environment for the children in its care. The Early Learning Center is staffed to maintain a small child/teacher ratio so each child receives more individual attention and care.
- Parents and guardians are the children’s primary caregivers. As secondary caregivers, the staff seeks to provide a nurturing, positive, Christ-centered environment for the children’s growth away from home.
- Children need guidance and discipline as they learn to take care of themselves and interact with other children and adults. The staff strives to provide this guidance and discipline through the use of positive reinforcement, re-direction, and time-out.
- As a Christian early learning center, the staff seeks to operate the center in accordance with God’s principles by His grace. The reality of God’s love for the world is shared with the children through table prayers, stories, songs, and overall attitude. Together, the staff seeks to grow in a loving relationship with God while reflecting Christ’s love in thoughts, words, and actions.
Hours
Zion’s Early Learning Center is open daily, Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Our center is closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Veteran’s Day, Thanksgiving Day and the day after, Christmas Eve (1/2 day), Christmas Day, and New Year’s Eve (1/2 day).