Harry & Grace Steele Childrens Center Orange Coast Co
Preschool in Costa Mesa, CA 92628
Welcome to the Orange Coast College Harry & Grace Steele Children’s Center! The Center has been serving student-parents with quality Early Care and Education of young children for 40 years. The Associated Students conceived the idea for campus childcare and has supported this endeavor on many levels throughout our history. The OCC Harry and Grace Steele Children’s Center is part of campus Student Services with the primary goal of providing a comprehensive Early Care and Education program serving the families of student-parents, faculty/staff and most recently the community. The Center strives to promote a balance between healthy family living and academic/career success. In creating this balance, parents grow to understand and develop their role in the life of their growing child(ren) while striving to maintain productivity in the outside world. Our role is to provide the time and structural support to assist students, faculty, staff and community members in achieving excellence in their chosen academic goals, experience an enriched campus life that includes the pursuit of leadership opportunities and extracurricular activities; and serve as advocates for strong family relationships through positive modeling, parent enrichment and ongoing support. The Center has a long history of excellence in providing quality child care to families in the Orange Coast area and will continue this tradition in future years to come.
- Child Ages:
- 6 months - 5 years
- Licenses & Accreditations:
- California Department of Social Services: Community Care Licensing Division
- Preschool:
- Yes
- Hours of Operation:
- M - Th 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM,
Fri. 7:30 to 5:00 PM
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The Childrens Center philosophy is based on the belief that we are an extension of the family. Our desire is to provide a supportive and nurturing environment, building a sense of community among parents, children and staff.
Each child is regarded as a unique individual. We value and celebrate each childs diverse cultural, ethnic, and socio-economic background. In consideration of the whole child, we strive to nourish the mind, body and sense of self for continued growth.
The curriculum at the Childrens Center is emergent, based on our belief that children need to be active participants in their own learning. Through this curriculum, we foster a balance among the social, intellectual, physical and emotional aspects of each childs development. The staff facilitates, guides, and supports each child’s natural inclination to challenge themselves, explore, create, take risks and play in an open ended environment.
Academic concepts are woven into every part of the curriculum, challenging children to think critically and become engaged in the process of learning. This occurs through the creative arts, gardening, animal care, creative writing, children’s literature, block play, games/puzzles, sand, water, outdoor gross motor play and walks through the Orange Coast College campus.
All this occurs in a physical environment designed to teach children the tools for peaceful respectful living. Respect and responsibility for ourselves, others and the environment is modeled daily through relationship building and the care of our farm animals and large organic garden.
