User:Childcarecenter/The Child Care Center of Evanston

Overview (Mission Statement)
The Child Care Center of Evanston, Inc. (CCCE) is a community-based organization whose mission is to strengthen families by providing high quality, affordable care and education for their children. Its highest priority is to help children from all socioeconomic backgrounds gain the skills they need to succeed in school while fostering the shared community values of cooperation and respect for one another. CCCE focuses on the welfare and care of the infant, toddler, and preschool age child who needs full day care away from home. The Center strives to provide an emotionally secure and physically safe atmosphere in a home-away-from-home environment. Donations help to provide families quality, affordable childcare.

Location Description
The center is located at Emerson and Asbury in a Queen Anne-style mansion that has been renovated to fit the children’s needs. The location has five classrooms and a kitchen area. The center also has a large play area in the basement which can serve as a place where visiting specialists, such as music therapists, can work with the children. The Child Care Center is set on approximately one acre of land and the large outdoor play area is used as an extension of the indoor classroom with active and quiet play areas, group and solitary play, large motor activities, and dramatic play. The center uses gardening and nature/ecology to teach children responsibility by having them care for their own “crops”. There is also a two-story facility which was turned into a Montessori Children’s House in 1987.

See how the Center is W.I.L.D. about learning on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zuTUR3FFog

History
The Child Care Center of Evanston was founded in 1944 as a day nursery for African American children whose mothers were working as a result of the critical labor shortage during World War II. The Center was supported by government funds plus a flat fee paid by each family served. After the war, the Social Service Committee of the Woman’s Club of Evanston secured financial support from the Community Chest to continue providing childcare services. For twenty years the Center was housed in the basement of the Church of God at 1524 Simpson Street where the children napped between the pews of the sanctuary. When the facility became overcrowded, the Center moved temporarily to the First Congregational Church of Evanston on Hinman Avenue. From the post-war period through the 1960’s, finding a permanent home for the Center was a high priority for the volunteers who supported its programs and for the community at large. The lengthy search ended when 1840 Asbury Avenue became available. A campaign was undertaken to raise money to purchase and remodel the 21-room turn-of-the-century house. The Center purchased the Asbury address in 1969. Renovation of the main house, the coach house, and the play yard was accomplished with donations from individuals, organizations, and Community Development Block Grants. From this location the Center currently serves approximately 100 children from diverse backgrounds.

Throughout its history, the Child Care Center of Evanston has been responsive to changing community needs. The Child Care Center formed the Home Day Care Program in 1972 because of a growing need for infant and toddler childcare. Today, this program, now known as Family Child Care Connections, serves infants, toddlers and preschoolers in Evanston. It has been a model for programs in Chicago and throughout the state that are looking to establish child care collaborations.

Programs
Pre-School The Child Care Center of Evanston’s preschool program enrolls children who are 2 to 5 years old. The classroom structure focuses on adapting to the needs of the children. The Center utilizes The Creative Curriculum® to aid in teaching the children. Weekly lesson plans are prepared for the classroom learning centers. Children learn a variety of skills through games, songs, and other activities. Fees are based on enrollment, not attendance. Subsidized tuition is available for eligible families through Illinois Action for Children

Infant Toddler Program The Family Child Care Connections program consists of experienced childcare providers licensed by the Department of Children and Family Services and contracted with CCCE. Many of the Childcare Providers are accredited by the National Association for Family Childcare (NAFCC). All have either an Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education or a Child Development Credential (CDA), as well as a significant number of years of experience working with young children and their families.

Scholarships
The Center offers state subsidized tuition to eligible families through IDHS and the Childcare Network of Evanston has scholarships available for families whose income is above the state guideline.

Accreditation
The Child Care Center of Evanston is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)and has an ExceleRate™ Illinois Gold Circle of Quality. The Center is licensed by the Department of Children and Family Services. CCCE is funded by the Illinois Department of Human Services, the Evanston Mental Health Board, and Childcare Network of Evanston Early Head Start.