Children's Center

Background Information

The Children's Center is located in room 135 of the Burnell Laboratory School, adjacent to Hart Hall, on the east side of the Bridgewater Campus. The Center is committed to promoting the growth and development of children in a safe, predictable, and stimulating environment.

The Center was primarily designed to serve children of students, faculty and staff at Bridgewater State College, but also accepts children from the greater Bridgewater community if space allows. The Children's Center has a maximum capacity of 30 children two years nine months to six years of age. All children must be toilet trained by their enrollment date.

The Children's Center is licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care and provides an educational program dedicated to the highest standards. It was first awarded accreditation in June of 1990 by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs, a division of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Every five years, in order to maintain accreditation, the Center voluntarily undergoes a comprehensive process of self-study and invites external review to verify its continued compliance with the Academy's Criteria for High Quality Early Childhood Programs.

Mission Statement

The Bridgewater State College Children's Center has a two-fold mission:

  1. Provide students, faculty, and staff at BSC with high quality, affordable child care;
  2. Serve as a model early childhood program which is available for academic, curricular, and research purposes, including student training, field work, observation, and data collection.

Goals and Objectives

  • Bridgewater State College Children's Center is dedicated to the highest standards of child care and to maintaining a quality educational program.
  • The program at the BSC Children's Center reflects a developmental viewpoint; in other words, we believe that all children go through identifiable patterns or stages in their cognitive, physical, emotional, and social growth.
  • The BSC Children's Center encourages the optimal growth of each child.
  • The curriculum at the BSC Children's Center encourages a child's natural curiosity and challenges his/her own level of interest and knowledge.
  • The staff is genuinely concerned about the well-being and development of young children and share the philosophy, values, and goals of the Center.
  • The BSC Children's Center is committed to the professionalization of its staff.
  • Supervisors work with staff to enhance skills and abilities and to set goals for professional growth and development.
  • The working relationship between parents and staff is of prime importance.
  • Parents are encouraged to become directly involved with the Center.

Philosophy

At the BSC Children's Center we accept each child as a unique individual and support his/her potential for mastery in all areas of development: cognitive, emotional, physical, and social. We promote feelings of dignity and self-worth and believe that feeling good about one's self is a prerequisite to learning.

The BSC Children's Center also recognizes that children learn best through active exploration and interaction with people. The Children's Center offers a rich and varied environment that stimulates children's natural curiosity, experimentation, and problem solving. Fostering of social skills is also of prime importance; we help the children to realize their own needs as well as the needs of others in group situations.

Parents are considered an integral part of our program. Daily communication and collaboration between parents and teachers are stressed. Parents are encouraged to visit the Center and observe their child, to meet regularly with teachers, and to participate in educational and social functions.

Last Modified: July 29, 2008

Contact Information

BSC Children's Center
Burnell Laboratory School, Room 135
Bridgewater, MA 02325
Tel: 508.531.1244
Fax: 508.531.6165
childrenctr@bridgew.edu