Early Care and Education

There is no longer any doubt that child care is a modern reality for the majority of children. Many parents work outside the home today and children spend countless hours in the care of adults other than their parents. There is also no longer any doubt that the quality of the early care and environment experienced by children is of paramount importance on their journey to productive adulthood and self-sufficiency. In high-quality care, children develop the cognitive, emotional and social skills they need to be successful in school and in life.

Westside Children's Center provides the highest quality child care for children from disadvantaged families for low or no cost. Through our child care center and a network of family child care homes, we currently serve over 300 children annually and are expanding our capacity by 105 more children.

Our Early Care and Education Program offers:
  • Child-friendly, safe environments supervised by specially trained teachers and providers
  • Stimulating age-appropriate curriculum
  • Focus on the development of the social, emotional, cognitive and physical skills needed for school readiness with emphasis on early literacy.
  • Fun and enriching field trips
  • Nutritious, balanced and warm meals
  • Therapeutic assessments and interventions for children experiencing emotional difficulties and/or developmental delays
  • Health assessments and education
  • Parenting education and support activities
  • Referrals to Family Support Services and other needed services

Family Child Care Homes: Licensed family child care providers offer nurturing care in their own homes for low income children from birth to 10 years of age.

Center-Based Early Care and Education Center: Full day subsidized and sliding scale licensed care available on-site for children from 18 months to 5 years of age.

Family Day Care Homes: WCC offers subsidized child care in licensed homes to children whose low income parents are seeking employment, employed, attending school or are medically incapacitated. WCC's staff monitors the care given to each child, and provides technical assistance to the child care providers.