Department of Human Development

Child Development Program

Description

The Child Development Program (CDP) is an inclusive, multi-age, full-day (7:30am-6:00pm) early childhood education and child care program for children ages 3-5 years. The CDP is in operation for approximately 11 months per year, five days per week, and follows the WSU Vancounver academic calendar. The program is open to all families (both within and outside WSU Vancouver) who meet the age-based enrollment criteria. Children enter the program in August (they must be three by August 31^st) and are placed on a waiting list for space availability. The program is licensed by the Washington State Department of Early Learning (DEL).

Philosophy

The mission of the Child Development Program at Washington State University Vancouver is to provide a “best practices” model of early childhood education in a university setting. The CDP is a teaching/research/service unit of the Department of Human Development at WSU Vancouver and is committed to providing children and their families, students, and the community “excellence in practice” in supporting optimal development for children, through its curriculum, program design, professional development, and involvement/outreach to the greater Southwest Washington community and the University.

Program

The CDP learning curriculum has been designed to meet the developmental needs of young children and to provide support for their families. The activities and experiences developed by the staff provide equal attention to all areas of a child’s development (intellectual, emotional, physical, and social), reflect innovative practices and learning opportunities to build a child’s mind and body, and build a foundation for later, more formal learning environments.

The CDP’s integrated, project-focused curricular model (IPF Model) provides for experiences and activities that are both planned and emergent; they represent and reflect how children’s needs, interests, and abilities change during the years of early childhood. The children’s curriculum places emphasis on four areas of focused experiences for children:

study of the natural sciences,
early literacy, language and symbol use,
creative arts representation, and
acquisition of social competence skills.

The CDP staff view children as individuals who grow and develop within the family, and we are committed to providing recognition and support to families through open communication and outreach initiatives. Sharing information on each child’s development and daily growth, scheduling home visits, annual conferences, and family events are some of the options provided to families enrolled at the CDP.

Staffing

The program is staffed by five Early Childhood Specialists that have been selected for his/her educational preparation and training; teaching experience; and capacity to establish positive relationships with children, their families, and adult students from the University. The permanent staff are supported in their work by college students, many of whom work part time or are acquiring experience in early childhood settings in preparation for careers which include education and human services. Long range planning and program development are the responsibility for the Program Coordinator with contribution from faculty in the Department of Human Development. Administrative support to the program and families is facilitated by the specialist staff.

For further information please contact:

Kathy Austin, B.A. kathryn_austin@vancouver.wsu.edu	Early Childhood Program Specialist, Child Development Program	360-546-9722
Karen Peterson, Ph.D. petersok@vancouver.wsu.edu	Program Coordinator, Child Development Program	360-546-9733