The Infant Program
[6 weeks -13 months]
Children’s Village’s Infant Program provides a safe, secure, warm and caring environment for your baby to grow and thrive. The program welcomes infants ages 6 weeks and older, with full-time or part-time availability. There is one teacher for every four infants, and the program takes care to adhere to the highest quality of state and national standards.
Play and nurturing relationships are at the heart of the active learning curriculum in the infant program. Inspired by the HighScope curriculum, the teaching team guides early experiences toward a lifelong love of learning, at each child’s individual pace. In close partnership and daily communication with parents, a consistent yet flexible schedule is followed to create an environment in which children feel loved and secure. The infant learning environment encourages movement, curiosity, exploration, and communication in all of its forms.
For enrollment information, please click here.
Scroll for our Infant Care Program Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
View the photo gallery below of our Infant Care Program!
Infant Care Program Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
As you consider care and education options, we hope to give you all of the information you need to make the best decision for your infant and family. This FAQ is a starting point. We look forward to ‘continuing the conversation’ via telephone and/or email. Our contact information is included below!
How long has Children’s Village offered an Infant Care Program?
We opened our Infant Care Program in September 2020. While this program is relatively new, our commitment to children and families is longstanding. We were founded in 1976 and have educated thousands of young children, guided by the highest quality standards and respecting families as children’s most important teachers.
The heart of our program is our teachers. Our teachers are highly qualified, caring, and committed to developing close relationships with the children entrusted to their care. There is one teacher for every four infants. Teachers work in teams of two, a lead and assistant teacher. Providing consistency, our teachers create a warm environment in which children feel loved and secure. Our teachers recognize that you are the most important person in your child's life. They partner with you, including daily communication, to support your infant’s growth and development. Children’s Village is a wonderfully diverse community and embraces and respects every family's culture.
When can I come in for a tour of the Infant Care Program?
In light of our COVID-19 health and safety protocols, Children’s Village currently is not conducting tours when classes are in session. Tours are available on some Saturdays for applicants with advance appointments.
With technical assistance from Lisa Schultz from First Up, we designed the new space specifically for the needs of infants, providing a safe, secure, and soothing environment. There is ample area for your child to move comfortably and freely, with interesting materials for your infant to explore. (You can find details on the types of materials in the classroom immediately below.) The room is divided into separate areas for sleeping, playing, eating, and changing diapers.
What kinds of toys and materials do the infants play with?
Infants reach for a wooden ring, roll on a cozy blanket, and watch their reflection on the acrylic mirror as they pull-up on the wall-mounted rail! Infants look, smell, hear, taste, and touch their way to understand the world around them. To foster such sensory learning, teachers encourage active, hands-on play. Inspired by the HighScope curriculum, the teaching team guides early experiences toward a lifelong love of learning, at each child’s individual pace.
Board books, puzzles, percussion instruments, and cause-and-effect (such as hitting a piano key and an animal toy pops up) toys are among the play items sparking curiosity and inviting babies to discover. Our teachers frequently describe to your infant what's happening throughout the day and this important ‘narration’ helps infants build lifelong language skills.
In addition to full-time care, do you offer part-time care?
Yes, we provide care both full time (5 days a week) and part time (2 or 3 days per week). Depending on the timing, we can often offer a flexible part-time schedule to best suit your needs.
What are the hours?
Children’s Village is currently open from 7:15 AM until 6:00 PM.
How can I obtain information on the fees and find the application and other forms that I will need to enroll my child?
You can download our Fee Schedule and application from the How to Enroll page of our website.
What other forms do I need to complete and when do I need to return them?
You must also submit a completed Child Health Report. You may submit it at the time of application or you may wait until your child is ready to enroll. You can download this form on the How to Enroll page on our website.
Do you accept ELRC PA subsidy (formerly called CCIS) for the Infant Care Program?
We accept ELRC PA subsidy for infants enrolled full-time in our program. We cannot accept ELRC subsidy for part-time care.
Do I provide diapers and diapering supplies?
Yes. Families provide diapers and diapering supplies.
The family services director contacted me to offer an enrollment opening to my child. What happens next?
After we offer an enrollment opening, we invite you to participate in an intake interview, which due to health and safety protocols is now conducted virtually.
What can we expect at the intake interview?
Here’s what you can expect at the intake interview:
We gather contact information for anyone permitted to pick up your child as well as for those you would want us to call in event of an emergency.
We will also ask your arrival/pick-up time needs.
We will ask about your child’s nutrition, medical, and other restrictions.
We will discuss your child’s routines (eating, sleeping, diapering, comfort items).
We will ask about your child’s interests and favorite activities.
We will ask about how your child communicates their feelings and needs.
We will ask about how your child approaches new people and new settings, and how we might help your child adjust to Children’s Village.
When will I meet my child’s teacher?
Due to pandemic health and safety protocols, we ask parents and other persons dropping off and picking up your child to spend less than five minutes in the class. This is very counterintuitive for us as a high quality program - usually we welcome parents and those you authorize to linger and spend time in the classroom! However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to limit the time parents are in the class. Otherwise, you risk exposing the children and teachers in the event you are positive for COVID, and we risk exposing you if a child or staff member in the class is positive.
You will meet your child’s teachers, but conversations in person are discouraged at this time. We will arrange a virtual parent-teacher conference within 6 - 8 weeks of enrollment to talk at length about your child’s adjustment. Parent-teacher conferences are scheduled mid-year and end-year for each age group.
How do you communicate with me throughout the day?
We value a close partnership and daily communication with parents. We use the communication app, Class Dojo, to exchange information throughout the day. Parents are able to use the messaging feature to share any relevant details, such as how much sleep their child had the night before and other information that would help teachers adjust care as needed. Teachers also use the messaging feature to share with parents the “What I Did Today” form, which includes details about the day such as bottle feedings.
Where will my infant sleep and how do you schedule naptime?
We learn from the information that you have shared with us to create a consistent routine for your child. Each infant has their own crib, which you may personalize with a fitted crib sheet. We do have spare fitted crib sheets onsite as well, as needed. The classroom’s temperature is kept at comfortable levels (where adults feel comfortable in a t-shirt) and the room is equipped with dimmer switches to lower the lighting during rest times.
We have been encouraging tummy time with our infant. What kind of space is available for tummy time?
Infants enjoy tummy time in a number of places, such as on the Infant Program’s carpeted areas and mats, with their teacher beside them. Children 6 months and older enjoy tummy time on a blanket outdoors at local parks.
Do the children go outside?
Children age 6 months and older will travel outside in one of our buggies. Infants enjoy tummy time on a blanket outdoors at local parks and explore the environment. One of our 8-month olds recently enjoyed a painting activity using the leaves he discovered on an outing to the park!
I feed my infant breast milk. How do you store the breast milk?
We ask that you provide pre-filled bottles with completed labels affixed to each. We provide these labels to you. You only have to provide what your infant typically consumes in the amount of time the infant will be at Children’s Village. Bottles are stored in the refrigerator on a tray that is specified for each child. If you would like to store frozen breast milk onsite as a backup, we can also do so.
I have more questions. Who should I contact?
Please contact Beth Baker, Family Services Director, at bethb@childrensvillagephila.org or (215) 931-0192, or Marie Marks, Early Childhood Coordinator, mariem@childrensvillagephila.org or (215) 922-0597, with any questions. We are happy to provide whatever information you need. The more you know about us, the better you will feel about your decision. We look forward to hearing from you!