The Child Development Center is an accredited and licensed childcare, preschool, and after school program. At CFI’s Child Development Center children aged 6 weeks to 10 years old receive high quality, affordable, safe childcare, and early childhood education. We engage children in a positive, structured learning environment focused on the development of the whole child. This includes spacious classrooms and outdoor playgrounds.
Each child receives preparation for school by:
Parents are engaged in every step of their child’s development at the Child Development Center. Each child invites their parents to conferences to develop and achieve goals. Teachers can contact and share progress daily with parents through communication apps. Teachers understand parents need help sometimes, too. We connect parents to other CFI programs and resources in the community.
Many of our youngest children participate in the Early Head Start (EHS) Child Care Community Partnership through Drake University. Early Head Start is a school readiness program including social/emotional, math, physical, language, literacy, and cognitive development. Children are assessed in these areas and classroom learning is individualized to help them reach their developmental goals.
CFI’s Child Development Center offers a variety of screening and supportive services onsite. This allows parents to continue to work while their children improve their skills with specialized services. Screenings include academic, social/emotional, dental screenings, hearing screenings, and vision screenings.
Positive Behavioral Intervention Supports is an evidence-based practice designed to support children with their academic, social, emotional, and mental health. We engage students, families, and teachers to create a culturally responsive practice to promote the PBIS (Positive Behavioral Intervention Support) elements of equity, systems, data, practices, and outcomes. Doing so improves the early childhood education environment for children, parents, and teachers.
The Child Development Center partners with Food Bank of Iowa and follows the Child and Adult Care Food Program. We offer breakfast and lunch along with one snack throughout the day.
The Child Development Center offers an accredited 3-year-old and 4-year-old Preschool. We use an evidence-based curriculum to promote kindergarten readiness. Our comprehensive, dual-language curriculum is designed to meet the needs of diverse learners.
Students enrolled at Des Moines Public School District can attend the Child Development Center after school, on school breaks, and summers. During the school year, we pick up at local elementary schools and transport back to our center. In the summer, we offer various onsite activities and field trips including group tutoring.
