Estes Children's Cottage
Center in Chapel Hill, NC 27514
Estes Childrens Cottage is located in a residence to provide a home setting for ten to twelve children ages one to three years. Children begin as young as 12 months old and typically transition to a larger program the summer after they turn four-years-old. Our one mixed age group works and plays together in our large room designed and used just for the children and in our large fenced in yard. Our program is located near many community resources, such as the library, nature trail and park which enrich our program for the children.
Our small program is owned and operated by a mother and daughter and assisted by two additional caregivers. Our consistent staff eliminates turnover, a common problem in child care programs particularly with toddlers. We value this consistency to develop relationships among the children, families and caregivers.
- Child Ages:
- 1 year - 3 years
- Licenses & Accreditations:
- North Carolina Division of Child Development and Early Education
- Children per Teacher:
- Infant: 10/3, Toddler: 12/3, Pre k: -/-, Afterschool: -/-
- Hours of Operation:
- Monday-Friday 7:45am-3:45pm
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Our program set up and philosophy are derived from our education and experiences. We are inspired by the municipal infant/toddler programs and preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy which we visited first hand on a study tour before opening Estes Childrens Cottage. We are guided by developmentally appropriate practices from the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
The foundation of our philosophy is our image of the child as competent, powerful, and full of resources. We allow children to show us all that they know, as they explore in our beautiful, developmentally appropriate, intentional environment. We view our environment as a third teacher. We understand the importance of families and seek to include them in all aspects of our program. Families, teachers, and children together form the integral team of high quality care. Caregiving routines, which are a large part of a very young childs day, are treated with responsive and caring interactions. Our community is also rich with resources, and we believe in forming community connections as we explore and work in it. We believe in the rights of all children and are honored to work with children during this amazing time of growth and development.
