Our Programs Back to top
APC offers several program options and we are committed to work with you and your child to meet your needs. We offer full day childcare, extended hours, and half-day preschool services. Our staff is always available to answer any questions or concerns you may have.
Full day childcare: 9am-5pm Extended Hours: 7am-6pm
Half-day preschool: 9am-1pm and/or 1pm-5pm
- Children 18 months to 6 years of age welcome
- Toilet training not required
- Creative Curriculum
- 43 years of experience
- Low student to teacher ratio
- Large, inviting playground
- University student involvement
- Outstanding educational program
- “Grandparent” volunteers in each classroom
- Individually-based, sensory friendly instruction and care
Our History
In 1967, volunteers from a local church formed one of the first early intervention programs in Los Angeles County, working with neighborhood families to maximize their young children's development and to provide support and networking opportunities. Atwater Park Center (APC) childcare quickly grew out of their efforts, renting classrooms in Atwater Baptist Church. APC has continued to rent classrooms at the church, but has never been affiliated with any religion. We are a secular, non-profit organization.
Today, over 43 years later, we have enrolled thousands of young children throughout the Los Angeles region. APC provides developmentally sensitive childcare and education for young children 18 months to 6 years of age between the hours of 7am to 6pm daily. We also provide home services through Regional Centers, educational services for families, and family support programs as needed. We are a training site for several colleges whose students major in child development, early childhood education, nursing, and occupational therapy. Student trainees work side by side with our teachers and teaching assistants in the classrooms. This in-vivo laboratory for students enriches our children and our staff with new ideas, energy, and intelligence.
Our Vision
Your child will spend each day happy, thriving, and learning.
Our Mission Back to top
APC childcare will consistently provide the best possible start in life for your child. Here, children come together to learn and play in a caring, real-world environment, helping you spend your working day with peace of mind. Upon entering our doors, children will encounter highly trained teachers leading a wide variety of developmentally appropriate activities with a common goal: To lay the cornerstones of a successful life.
Our Philosophy: Learning to Learn
Nothing compares to the relationship a child has with his or her parents. We recognize that you are the expert in your child's life. When you choose group care for your child, strong bonds are made with the teachers and caregivers who are responsible to guide and nurture your child so that he or she stays emotionally safe, confident, and socially involved in the classroom's activities. When children feel secure they are more likely to explore and make connections with others. Our program nurtures each child's development in an active learning community with an atmosphere of respect and playful interaction. Teachers and children respect individual differences and create an atmosphere where each child can progress at his or her own pace in order to learn to live and work cooperatively. Our activities are creatively structured to help the ideas, interests, skills, opinions, and curiosities of your child flourish. Both planned and spontaneous activities provide each child with hands-on learning experiences and opportunities for discovery.
Research points repeatedly to the positive influence of play in a young child's life. Play encourages imagination, imitation, communication and the development of abstract thought. Because play should come from within the child and not be forced on a child, our philosophy respects a child's right to choose play themes meaningful to him or her. Children go through many stages in their young lives of creating characters to enact through play. These characters mean something important to the child and our program encourages them to express themselves while respecting the rights of others. No child is forced to play, although we actively encourage all children to get involved in active, robust play. Our curriculum is play-based with an eclectic mix of the Creative Curriculum and the Emergent Curriculum and stresses creativity, sensory and language development.
Your child’s classroom experiences Back to top
Each classroom is tailored to meet the developmental ages of the children. We know that children learn best through hands-on experiences, so our program "teaches by doing." Children are exposed to a select variety of toys and activities that stimulate their senses, ignite their curiosity, and encourage exploration. The passion for knowledge begins in the body, so children play with objects that are interesting, inviting, and age appropriate.
Our children at APC spend a good deal of time outdoors on the large play yard with gross motor toys such as "coup cars," tricycles, slides and ramps. They also play several times a day in the playground area, where play structures appropriate for their ages are available. This safe space is a time for children to let off steam by running and playing hard or a place where children can play quietly with a variety of sensory items such as sand, water, beans, etc. Teachers are stationed at crucial areas and play along with the children, helping them when needed but not interfering with their play.
A recent study noted that college-aged students who were the best accommodated to their college environment were once children who had a lot of opportunity to play freely. We believe in the wisdom of play and encourage play that stimulates the imagination and the senses in order to build a "better brain" that will easily adapt to the challenging, exciting world of higher education.
Technological advances in brain studies have shown that ninety percent of a child's brain growth occurs in the first five years of life. During these years of rapid brain development, children are totally dependent on caring adults' knowledge, compassion and informed care-giving to support optimal growth and development. This is a perfect time to enhance your child's development with structured, loving support and an enriched educational environment. Our program is designed to do just that—to provide the best possible start in life for all children at all levels of development.
Research has also shown that young children learn best in the context of relationships. Relationships provide the context for the learning and growth of young children, stimulating speech, curiosity, and fostering self-confidence. It is therefore crucial that children be treated with respect and love. Our staff is trained in positive discipline and relationship-based principles of care. Your child receives support and acknowledgment of his/her achievements. Each child's individual differences are appreciated and applauded as they grow and develop at their own pace. The scheduling and pacing of APC have been carefully designed to best suit the needs of young children but the day's activities are flexible enough to take the individual needs of children into account. Our high teacher to student ratio allows teachers to work in very small groups and individually with children when they need special attention, are having a tough day, or are not feeling well.
(For more information on the value of play, please refer to our Resources Page)
University Consultants and Influence Back to top
Some young children in our program are developing faster than others. In our child development center, our consulting occupational, speech, and physical therapists work with children and consult with the teachers to create activities, exercises, and classroom activities that will maximize a child's full potential, thereby benefiting the classroom as a whole. Visiting student teachers and professionals from local universities bring innovative ideas and stimulation to our teachers. This constant training and input to the teachers informs them at all levels so that all of the children in our program receive high quality, developmentally based education and childcare services.
Multi-culturalism
In addition to the positive influence of area colleges, visiting student teachers, and professional consultants, APC offers the benefit of a multi-cultural environment reflective of our rich urban environment. Our teachers are bi-lingual Spanish/English and our "Grandparents" are fluent in both English and either Tagalog or Cantonese. In addition, several of our teachers "speak" sign language, so the children are taught basic sign language. Having hands to communicate as a child's young mouth is trying to form words has been shown to reduce frustration, increase communication, and stimulate the child to use his/her imagination.
Caregiver participation
Parents and family members are invited to participate in all areas of your child's day and we encourage you to discuss your care preferences with our teachers. We strive to build a strong family and teacher/caregiver partnership, so please share your ideas with us and get as involved as your schedule permits.
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