Lincoln Land Community College CDC, Pittsburg

Located in Springfield, Ill., the LLCC Child Development Center serves families with children between the ages of 15 months to kindergarten entry. The center is DCFS licensed and has met additional standards of high quality care including accreditation through the National Association for the Education of Young Children and recognition by Illinois as a Gold Level program through ExceleRate Illinois. The center employs a highly qualified staff and serves as a learning lab for students in the Early Childhood Education field as well as other disciplines within the college. The Child Development Center curriculum at Lincoln Land Community College is based on developmentally appropriate practice. This type of program is planned considering the age span of the children within the group and the needs and interests of each individual child. Specifically, the program emphasizes the total development of the young child—socially, emotionally, physically, creatively, and cognitively—through curricular activities that emphasize hands-on learning in child-initiated, teacher-prepared learning environments. The program stresses the importance of children learning through play, choosing activities, learning through negotiation and conflict resolution, and receiving individualized instruction. The program stresses the use of themes or projects that are real and relevant to children’s lives. These themes incorporate all curricular areas—art, music, science, mathematics, social studies, nutrition, health, language, creative dramatics, and fine and gross motor development. The program also stresses the importance of positive guidance techniques, which recognize both individual and group needs, while fostering the development of self-esteem, self-control, and self-help skills. Multicultural and anti-bias practices are stressed in all curricular areas.