Welcome to the Children’s Center!
We nurture and educate the whole child, fostering deep roots for the whole person.
Our core belief is that high quality early childhood education should be accessible to everyone in our community. That is why we are not only one of the most highly accredited early childhood education centers in the country, we are also a non-profit, with over 40% of our families receiving financial aid.
Our Center uses the HighScope curriculum model. HighScope engages children in the early and lasting development of critical thinking skills and self-education through guided exploration and participatory learning.
Child Centered Learning: Our Philosophy
At the South Whidbey Children’s Center, our educational philosophy supports the social, emotional and cognitive development of each child through the HighScope curriculum. This curriculum was specifically chosen as it is child centered, emergent and research validated. HighScope’s approach to education is a unique process that has been tested and researched for over 40 years. Young children’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical capacities develop quickly when they can use materials and their imaginations freely in an environment that promotes investigation, decision making, cooperation, persistence, and problem solving. The capacities that children develop in this open framework are broad abilities that children can, and do, use daily in the classroom as well as at home.
Our philosophy is to nurture, support and empower the whole child and to help them grow deep roots that will serve them throughout their education and life. We believe this approach helps to foster self-confidence, curiosity and compassion in your child during this vital stage of life.
We also believe that, in order to provide your family with the best possible early childhood learning experience, we must work intentionally to create a diverse and equitable environment. As such, it is crucial to our child-centered learning philosophy that we be committed to improving the wages, benefits and professional status of our teachers, as well as making our Center accessible to a wide variety of family income levels.
What Sets Us Apart
Calm Rural Location
The South Whidbey Children’s Center is located on Whidbey Island, in the town of Langley, free from the constant stimulus and pressures that you might find in more populated areas.
Best Practices Education
SWCC offers the highest quality early education available, in a rural, home-style setting. We are a safe, nurturing and equitable space for children and families from all backgrounds.
Conflict Resolution as a Life Skill
Conflict is a fact of life, as we adults well know! At SWCC, we believe conflict resolution and self-advocacy are important life skills.
Measurable Outcomes
We base our curriculum and approach to childcare in research-supported methods. We emphasize learning through play, and foster natural curiosity, self-learning, and joy.