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Statement of Early Childhood Education Philosophy

Early childhood education can be thought of as a puzzle with many pieces. Parents, family, schools and the community all have pieces to place in the eventual picture which the child becomes. Early childhood education professionals must see themselves as part of a team. They must work in conjunction with parents, family and community in order to maximize the child's potential for development. We need to understand that each child is unique and thus developmental appropriateness varies from child to child.

Early childhood education programs must tailor themselves to the individual in regard to ages and stages as well as unique cultural and environmental factors. We must also realize that parents and guardians are the primary caretakers of their children so to truly impact children, we must impact the significant adults in their lives. Strong parent education components are thus an integral part of any ECE efforts. ECE programs should be models of healthy, safe and positive environments for children and adults and should foster the development of positive self esteem in both children and adults.

Children are our most precious natural resource and deserve our very best efforts in maximizing every aspect of their growth physically, socially, emotionally and cognitively.