Children, Inc. has been offering affordable quality child care for Northern Kentucky families since 1977. As a nonprofit, United Way agency, Children, Inc. focuses on providing quality care that prepares children for future success in elementary school. In all of our programs we focus and deliver on eight specific Quality Curriculum Components or QCCs. These QCCs help to shape the curriculum and indeed the way we manage our organization in order to ensure the highest outcomes and development in the children enrolled in our early childhood education and care.
Children, Inc. utilizes these Quality Curriculum Components:
- Literacy
- Stars and Accreditation
- Staff Development
- Social and Emotional Development
- Arts
- Family Partnerships
- Health
- Assessments
Literacy skills and an interest in books and reading are essential elements for school readiness. Children, Inc. has developed a literacy program that includes development in the six areas of early literacy- visual discrimination, auditory, oral language, writing, phonemic awareness, and reading. Children, Inc. offers:
- Literacy-rich classrooms with materials that promote reading
- Cozy areas that encourage children to curl up with a book
Children, Inc. programs have held 3 and 4 STAR ratings since 2003. STAR ratings are granted through the Kentucky KIDS NOW initiative, on a scale of one to four stars, with only a handful of programs earning a four star rating across the state. Watch a brief informational video about the STARs program Here. To receive a STAR rating of three and higher, a program must offer the following:
- Staff to child ratios that are more favorable than state requirements
- High quality curriculum that includes family involvement activities and high ratings on the environment rating scale
- All teaching staff have either an early childhood credential or additional hours of training
- Staff members have individual staff development plans
- Staff members are encouraged to participate in Kentucky Early Childhood Development Scholarship Program for ongoing education
- Administrative excellence including a benefit package for employees
- All staffs are evaluated annually to encourage continuous professional growth
National Accreditation
Only 6% of early childhood programs nationwide receive accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the largest accrediting agency for early childhood programs in the country. Centers accredited by NAEYC offer:
- Quality staff/child interactions
- Developmentally appropriate curriculum
- Emphasis on health and safety
- Certified and credentialed staff
- Beautifully prepared and maintained learning environments
In order to provide the utmost in care and development for the children we serve Children, Inc. employees attend regular trainings to receive instruction on various topics from CPR to dialogic reading. Children, Inc. is committed to resourcing our staff and our community with the best training and instruction on recent breakthroughs in child development. By providing these training services to Children, Inc. employees and other education professionals we are supporting our mission as well as children in our community. More about training
Research shows the skill sets that are key to school readiness include social-emotional skills, especially emotional self-regulation. Children, Inc. promotes Social-Emotional Development by using nationally recognized curriculum to assess and develop social skills and build resilience in children. Check out our Growing Sound website to learn more about developing Social Emotional skills at home!
Children, Inc. introduces children to the arts and encourages interest and participation through:
- Artists in residence
- Dance Instructor on staff to introduce children to dance, rhythm and movement
- Music Specialist on staff
- Variety of art materials, musical instruments and dramatic play props available in each classroom
Children, Inc. supports and promotes families as the first and best teachers of children. Children, Inc. is committed to:
- Develop positive and productive partnerships with families
- Share information about children and work together effectively on behalf of children
- Hold regularly scheduled family events
- Contact a center or program director to talk more about our family partnerships
A child’s ability to learn and develop is bolstered by good health and exercise. Children, Inc. offers:
- Free annual vision and hearing screenings
- Dental health program
- Well equipped indoor play areas
Physical environments are also important in a child’s educational experience. Children, Inc. offers:
- Well-equipped classrooms
- Cozy areas that are made with soft materials
- Diverse materials and toys
- Spectacular outdoor classrooms, including play equipment for toddlers
For the past several years, Children, Inc.’s center-based teachers have been using individual child assessments, along with their observations and family reports, to help them better know the children in their classes. This information is used to help children build educational and social skills through focused lesson plans and one-on-one interactions. The child assessments used by Children, Inc. are nationally recognized and were developed based on strong research about child development. Some of the attributes assessed include: fine and gross motor skills, language and literacy development, cognitive, and social-emotional.