ChildRoots is an Art–and–Science–based learning community dedicated to providing superior child care for children six weeks to six years. We see each child as an authentic, powerful individual. Our teachers are trained to provide a consistent, Center–wide experience focused on language acquisition, social and emotional development, and fostering curiosity, wonder, and self-esteem.

Our awe-inspiring classrooms are designed to provoke wonder, encourage inquiry, and allow for movement. Classrooms are child–focused: everything visible to children is available for their use and the materials are continually adapted to suit their developmental needs and interests.

HOURS OF OPERATION
We are open from 7:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday at our Centers , and our Annexes operate from 7:15 a.m.–5:45 p.m. We only enroll children for full–day care, with a two day per week minimum. Drop-offs typically happen between 7:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m. and pick-ups between 4:00 p.m.–5:45 p.m. Children may be in care for no longer than 10 hours per day.

CLOSURES
ChildRoots is closed on major federal Holidays and two additional days during the summer and winter for teacher training. The preschool has two additional closure days for parent-teacher conferences. For a complete list of closures check out our calendar.

MEALS
All food served at ChildRoots is vegetarian and peanut–free. We serve lunch and two snacks daily. Meals are served family style under the “take 5” plan. Each food group (grain, protein, vegetable, fruit and dairy) is served in a separate communal bowl. In this way, children are able to eat more of what they like while minimizing the waste of what’s not eaten. Children are always encouraged to try at least one bite of everything offered.

We believe that it is important to acquaint children with a variety of healthy foods, in their natural and whole state, so that they can develop their palate.

REST PERIODS
All children at our center are required to have at least one 20 minute rest period during their time here. Rest periods and patterns vary throughout the center based on age group and classroom dynamic.

DIAPERING AND POTTY TRAINING
We use cotton cloth (prefold) diapers with snappable wraps for diapering during center hours. Diapers are changed every 1.5-2hrs, and within 10 minutes of poop detection.

Parents are responsible for providing wipes and "travel" diapers (those worn to and from school each day).

As soon as children are able to walk, we start to incorporate the toilet into diapering time. At first, all that this means is allowing the child to notice the toilet: “That’s the toilet, that’s where we poop and pee…” Then, as we begin to identify signs of readiness, including bladder control, interest, etc., children are encouraged to sit on the potty several times a day.

PRIMARY CARE
Each child is assigned a primary care provider – a single teacher who is primarily focused on that child. Primary care providing allows children to build trust and bond more easily with their teachers. While both teachers in a classroom will be aware of and able to meet your child’s needs at any time, knowing that your child has one teacher who is particularly familiar with and tuned into your child’s needs provides you with added security and ease with communication.

LEARNING IN PRESCHOOL
We view each child as a competent self-learner. Given a safe, healthy and stimulating environment, they will explore their own interests at their own pace. Rather than directing learning through a letter-based curriculum, we provide various learning opportunities throughout the day. Introduction to, and use of letters and numbers is integrated into our exploration of Learning Topics. Learning Topics emerge from the interests of the children and are explored as a group during Learning Circles.

BUILDING CONFIDENCE IN INFANTS
In our infant rooms we are generally inspired by the work of Magda Gerber and her Resources for Infant Educarers (RIE). This means that we respect infants as people – speaking to and treating them as we would older children or adults. Since it is always our goal to allow children the time and space for self–discovery and self–learning, we allow infants to develop mobility and other skills at their own pace, never propping them or placing them in a position into which they cannot naturally move their own bodies.

CLASSROOM MATERIALS
We believe that children benefit from natural, open-ended, enchanting, dynamic and inspiring materials: toys and environments that intentionally scaffold learning. Toys are rotated on a regular basis to ensure that children are continually challenged by, and engaged in, their environments.

ARTS AND SCIENCE
Every day our full time, on–site art studio director offers preschoolers time and materials for artistic exploration. Sometimes that means setting out creative supplies for those children electing to attend open art studio. Other times, children will work in small groups on long–term, more involved projects, with more direction from our art studio director. All of the art created at ChildRoots is a process rather than being product oriented.

Additionally, each classroom spends time with a new and evolving hands-on sensory process every day. Each sensory process is carefully designed to scaffold art and science skill and conceptualization. It is our philosophy that allowing repeated exploration of a variety of materials appropriate to age and developmental stages, fosters independence, curiosity, confidence and a respect for materials in the classroom. We’ve found that sensory bins, even in infant rooms, aid in developmental advancement of social and motor skills.

ANIMALS
We have a variety of animals throughout the Center. In the preschool rooms you will currently find guinea pigs, rabbits, scorpions, mice, and a variety of insects. In the toddler classrooms there are finches, a few aquariums and often a terrarium of snails or insects.

OUTDOOR PLAY
All children in the Center go outside at least once a day, rain or shine. Walking children are usually outside 2 to 3 times per day; taking walks in the neighborhood or playing in our yard. The yard is specifically designed to promote gross motor movement: room to run, boulders and stumps for crawling and climbing, a rock pit, and in the summer months, we provide opportunities for water play. We are continually changing and adapting our yard area to meet the needs of the children who play there.