The Neighborhood Center, Inc.

Year-round child care facility serving children 2 months – five years old (Monday – Friday 7:30 am – 6:00 pm). It is our aim to provide a safe, nurturing and healthy environment for children to engage in developmentally appropriate activities while still having fun.

Head Teacher Dorothy Scott not only teaches our children amazing things, she also worked closely with the childcare staff to train them in the latest developments in early childhood education. Using Creative Curriculum, one of the 5 curriculums recommended by the NJ Department of Education, every teacher now writes and implements weekly lesson plans that are designed specifically for their age group. Three in-service days were added to the school calendar and the teaching staff has participated in more than 12 hours of continuing education designed to expand their knowledge of best practices in early childhood education.

The education team also expanded opportunities for volunteers to interact with the children, including teen interns, community groups and youth mission teams from all over the nation.
In another move toward greater professionalism, a system of formal observation and assessment was enacted and was met with rave reviews from our families. One parent in particular shared how she was “amazed” to hear about all the things her child could do, and was looking forward to going home and trying out some new activities with her. For this child, our program helped her mother see her child as the capable and unique individual she is!

A new classroom for 2 year olds was started which allows us to offer smaller age ranges in each classroom to better meet the needs of each individual child. All of the classrooms received a “facelift” with a deep cleaning, new materials, and a new layout designed to ensure children are engaged in play in developmentally appropriate learning centers.