Early Childhood Centers

What is an Early Childhood Center?
An early childhood center is a community resource that serves as the hub and main host of a wide array of paramedical and developmental services, and formal and informal educational programs, for children aged birth-six years and their parents.

Depending on the needs of the town, an early childhood center (ECC) includes the following key functions:

• Child Development Unit - to assess, treat and monitor children in need of specific therapeutic intervention, e.g. physical, speech or psychological therapy (sometimes includes a Well-Baby Clinic)
• Day Care Center - to care for children aged 3 months-3 years, so that their mothers can go out to work
• Enrichment Unit - to offer stimulating group activities for babies, toddlers and parents, to encourage their natural love for learning; and to run parenting groups to support and inform the child's primary carers
• Outreach Unit - to support families at risk within their homes; and to train and supervise professional teams working in early childhood frameworks around the town