Full-Day Program
Infants through threes participate in the CDC’s full day program. Each classroom uses Creative Curriculum which provides a focus on responsive care and the routines and experiences that are essential to the growth and development of children.
Infant Classroom - The Pathfinders
Teachers: Linda Williams / Vacant
Ages: 6 weeks to 12 months
One-Year-Old Classroom - The Explorers
Teachers: Autumn Smith / Vacant
Ages: 12 months to 24 months
Two-Year-Old Classroom - The Trailblazers
Teachers: Hannah Massey / Vacant
Three-Year-Old Classroom - World Travelers
Teachers: Heather Smith / Emily Walls
Activities are planned according to the age and developmental level of each child in care and provide children with a variety of experiences. The activities provided will expose the children to a variety of cultures and will encourage children to use and develop language and literacy skills, use large and small muscles, think creatively, learn new ideas and skills, and participate in imaginative play. The activities are designed to provide protection from excess fatigue and over stimulation and to ensure that each child can be successful and feel good about himself or herself.
Infants and toddlers (children under two years of age) will have a flexible schedule which reflects the child’s individual needs. They will be given individual attention, including lots of time for talking. The body position of non-mobile infants and their location in the center with be changed frequently. The CDC provides safe, open spaces for children who are creeping and crawling. Infants and toddlers will be encouraged to play with a wide variety of safe toys and objects. All children, including infants and toddlers, will go outdoors daily when weather permits, so dress your child appropriately for the weather.
Classroom Curriculum & Assessment
The CDC follows the Creative Curriculum Learning Environment in all its classrooms. Children are encouraged to investigate using hands-on activities to discover their world. The developmentally appropriate curriculum is research-based to include strategies to best support young learners. Play, literacy, numeracy, and STEAM lessons are essential elements of the program and are evident in CDC classrooms throughout the day.
Activities are planned according to the age and developmental level of each child in care and provide children with a variety of experiences. The daily activities include a flexible balance of indoor and outdoor activities, active and quiet play, and individual and group activities. The activities provided will expose the children to a variety of cultures and will encourage children to use and develop language and literacy skills, use large and small muscles, think creatively, learn problem solving skills, and participate in imaginative play. The activities are designed to provide protection from excess fatigue and over stimulation and to ensure that each child can be successful and feel good about himself or herself. The activities planned align with the Alabama Early Learning Guidelines (AELG) and encompass the following domains:
- Social-Emotional
- Physical (Gross & Fine Motor)
- Language
- Cognitive
- Literacy
- Mathematics
- Science & Technology
- Social Studies
- The Arts
- English Language Acquisition
PLAY is the major component of our program. Enough time, materials, and space will be provided for children to actively explore the world around them. Children will have an opportunity to use a variety of art materials and manipulative and dramatic play materials.
Infants and toddlers (children under two years of age) will have a flexible schedule which reflects the child’s individual needs. They will be given individual attention, including lots of time for talking. The body position of non-mobile infants and their location in the center will be changed frequently. The Jax State CDC provides safe, open spaces for children who are creeping and crawling. Infants and toddlers will be encouraged to play with a wide variety of safe toys and objects. All children, including infants and toddlers, will go outdoors daily when the weather permits.
The Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) is a developmental screening tool utilized to pinpoint a child’s developmental progress. Evidence shows that the earlier development is assessed, the greater the chance a child has to reach his or her full potential. The ASQ-3 will be given twice a year, allowing parents and teachers the ability to collaborate on the best student support strategy.
Teaching Strategies Gold is a researched-based assessment tool that empowers our teachers to observe, document, and plan for children’s development across all domains. TS Gold provides data-driven reports that enable teachers and families to become partners in supporting their children’s growth.
Conscious Discipline
Jax State CDC faculty and staff practice Conscious Discipline in the CDC classrooms. Conscious Discipline is a researched-based approach to addressing behavior with young children. All staff have completed Conscious Discipline training with the state. This approach provides choices and respect for the children’s individual rights. All teachers at the JSU CDC approach discipline problems in a loving, positive manner. If the child has challenging behavior issues, they are redirected as needed and provided with access to the calm-down corner inside his/her classroom. Families will be included to provide additional support outside of the classroom as needed.
First Class PreK
The three Pre-K classrooms are funded through the Alabama Department of Early Childhood Education’s First Class Pre-K Program. Students are randomly selected in the spring for the following school year. Children who are not selected may elect to be placed on a waiting list. The state monitors Pre-K classrooms, and classroom receive weekly visits from state coaches. Children are monitored using TS GOLD, an assessment strategy used to assess children’s development. This information provides Pre-K teachers with ideas for strategies to support their students and ensure they are prepared for kindergarten.
NOTE: Tuition is not charged for PreK.
After-School Care
After-school care is offered for Pre-K students only. There is a daily rate of $20 per day/$100 a week. There are no discounts for after-school care. After-school care begins at 2:30pm and ends at 6:00pm. You may register for the program anytime during the year.
After-school payments are due on Monday for the previous week. If payment is not received for the previous week by Tuesday at noon, the family will be contacted, and the child will not be allowed to stay for the after-school program until the after-school charges are paid in full. Families are only charged for the days the child is present in the after-school program.
Laboratory Experience
The partnership with Jacksonville State’s College of Education and Professional Studies (CEPS) is a unique component of the CDC. Jax State students enrolled in Child Development and Early Childhood Education courses use the CDC for laboratory experiences and classroom learning. Students are supervised at all times. This collaboration allows Jax State students to demonstrate developmentally appropriate practices and facilitate learning in an exemplary childcare facility while observing and supporting the classroom teachers.
State Review
The Child Development Center at Jax State is governed by a state institution of higher education (Jacksonville State University) and therefore cannot be licensed by the Alabama Department of Human Resources. Even as such, the CDC meets or exceeds the licensing standards, Minimum Standards for Day Care Centers and Nighttime Centers, as prescribed by the State of Alabama Department of Human Resources. To obtain a copy of Minimum Standards for Day Care Centers and Nighttime Centers, you may write or call the State Department of Human Resources, Office of Day Care Licensing, 50 Ripley Street, Montgomery, AL 36130-4000, or the local County Department of Human Resources. It is also available on line at: https://dhr.alabama.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/No-Highlighted-MS-for-CENTERS-revised.pdf
