What are the Early Childhood Education Centers at Sinclair?

The Early Childhood Education Centers provide child care services for Sinclair students, faculty and staff while they are on campus. If space is available, the general public can also take advantage of these services. The centers are owned and operated by Sinclair Community College and are a component of the Child & Family Education Department. The centers serve as a laboratory school for the Early Childhood Education Degree Program.

The centers are located on the first floor of Building 9.

Why are there two centers?

To meet the full range of child care needs of Sinclair families, there are two distinctive centers.

• For students/parents who spend all day on campus: The Early Childhood Learning Center provides full-day child care for children ages three through pre-kindergarten. All children must be in the center by 9:30 a.m. The center is open from 6:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• For students/parents who spend only a few hours on campus at a time: the Flex-Time Learning Center offers short-term child care for children 3 years old through pre-kindergarten age. The center is open 6:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.

What is the purpose of these centers?

The centers were developed to accomplish two purposes:

1. to provide quality, convenient child care services for Sinclair students, staff, and faculty
2. to serve as a laboratory school for Sinclair’s Early Childhood Education Degree Program.

The ECE majors observe and interact with the children as well as complete a portion of their student teaching while in the centers. The centers are another example of how Sinclair is responsive to the needs of its students and employees.

What will children gain from these centers?

The Early Childhood Education Centers provide a developmentally appropriately learning environment which allow children to grow educationally, physically, emotionally and socially…at their own rate. Degree teachers work effectively with students, young children, and their parents.

The centers are designed to encourage:

• Self-help skills.
• Use of problem-solving and decision making skills.
• Learning through the use of hands-on real, and manipulative materials.
• Small group and child centered activities.
• Utilization of a variety of materials, and expericnces in order to meet the children’s individual needs.