CDC

Program Philosophy and Objectives

St. Mark United Methodist Church envisioned an expanded mission of service to families in the community and met the challenge of community service through the establishment of a Child Development Center. The church and center work together jointly to be of service to families, to help your children grow and develop, to help parents more fully understand and enjoy their children, and to provide a stable Christian environment to serve their spiritual needs.

Toward that end, the center seeks to:

1. Provide an environment in which children will develop a positive self-concept and a sense of trust which establishes the base for spiritual growth.

2. Provide a setting in which children of various religions and ethnic backgrounds can play and learn together and develop positive skills of interpersonal relationships and communication.

3. Provide a child-oriented learning environment designed in accord with sound principles of child development and growth in which children can develop physically, emotionally, intellectually, socially and spiritually.

4. Enhance the role of the church as a meaningful part of our community and encourage the life of the church as being a vital part of the life of children and families.

The program is flexible enough to meet individual needs, interests and abilities and is planned to meet the needs of both the group and each individual child. The center is an extension of the home and because of its peer group setting, it provides experiences that are important in the total development of the child. The home and the center compliment each other in the life of the child.