Children’s Enrichment Centers

Deaconess offers three child care locations for the employees of Deaconess Health System:

• DCEC - Midtown
• DCEC - East
• DCEC - Henderson

We strive to offer children a warm, inviting and child-centered environment in which they can explore, discover and grow.
 
Our Mission Statement
Children who come to Deaconess Children’s Enrichment Centers build a strong foundation for a lifetime of learning.  We provide Deaconess Health System employees with an excellent, year-round educational program.  Our mission is to promote the children’s social/emotional, physical, cognitive and language growth and development by offering:

• child-centered, active learning environments
• well-educated and experienced teachers
• lower group size
• developmentally focused classrooms

Our Educational Philosophy
In our full-service program, children from six weeks to five years are loved and nurtured by compassionate teachers.  We believe children are born with many natural talents and abilities.  As early childhood educators, we build on knowledge children already possess.  Young children learn best by hands-on experience guided by knowledgeable and caring teachers.  It looks like “play”-but it is play that is orchestrated with purpose and intent.
 
Our Teachers
All of our head teachers and many of our assistant teachers have an early childhood credential, ranging from a Child Development Associate (CDA) degree to a Master’s Degree.  Our goal is to provide exceptional early childhood education for each child.  This is accomplished through the dedication and expertise of our staff. 
 
Our Curriculum
Our program is influenced by the Reggio Approach.  The Reggio Approach uses long-term projects with small groups of children to promote self-directed learning, collaborative learning, flexible curriculum, and documentation.  The goal is to reinforce the principles of respect, responsibility and community through exploration, discovery and play.

The projects that the teachers and children engage in are distinct in a number of ways.  Study topics may come directly from observations teachers have made during the children’s play and exploration, or they may be selected on a basis of an academic curiosity or social concern.  Since children enjoy investigation and discover, successful projects encourage creative thinking and problem-solving.

Each of the centers use an ongoing observational assessment system for assessing children from birth through kindergarten.  The system helps teachers to observe children in the context of every day experiences, which is an effective way to learn what they know and can do.  Assessment includes observation of development and learning in areas such as social/emotional, physical, cognitive and language.  Information from these assessments is directly infused into curriculum development in each classroom.

Hours of Operation
All locations: 
Open Monday through Friday, 6 AM to 6 PM 
Closed on the following holidays:

• New Year's Eve (Henderson only)
• New Year’s Day
• Martin Luther King Jr. Day (for staff professional development)
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Thanksgiving and Friday after Thanksgiving
• Christmas Eve
• Christmas Day
• TBD -  1 additional staff professional development day (announced annually through the parent calendar that is distributed at the beginning of the year)

Fees and Payments

Weekly fees are based on the child’s classroom- infant, toddler or preschool (contact us for more information regarding fees for attending).  A non-refundable registration fee is required upon enrollment.  After the first year, a modest supply fee is charged annually.  There is a tuition discount when more than one child in a family is enrolled.  This discount applies to the oldest child.

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