Early Childhood

PHILOSOPHY AND GOALS

Mosholu Montefiore Child Development Center was established in 1954. It is one of the oldest and best known nursery schools in the City of New York. Since 1942, we have been providing child care services to the North Bronx. Originally, we were known as the Mosholu Neighborhood Center and operated out of basements and storefronts. Our emphasis always has been on supporting the family and providing child care services to men and women who worked in the neighboring hospitals, factories, munition plants, etc. In 1959, Montefiore Hospital donated the land on which our current structure sits, and we built the facility known now as the Mosholu Montefiore Community Center (MMCC). MMCC serves the educational, recreational, social and cultural needs of our community, regardless of race, religion, and ethnicity.

At Mosholu Montefiore Child Development Center we believe that children learn best when they are in an environment which is both stimulating and nurturing. Our child care programs are designed to give the children and families that we service the utmost quality in the service that we can provide. We believe that children, given the opportunity to explore the environment and various educational materials, will develop intellectually, socially and emotionally.

Our program provides our children with a rich environment which stimulates their desire to learn and be truly satisfied with their accomplishment. It also provides an environment where autonomy and self-esteem can be developed and one in which they can express themselves as unique individuals with a distinct desire to learn about themselves and their environment. Our curriculum focuses on all areas of child development and this is reflected in our daily activities.

The Mosholu Montefiore Child Development Center is licensed, registered and approved according to the laws of New York State, and the NYC Department of Health and is under the umbrella of the Administration for Children’s Services (A.C.S.) and the Human Resource Administration. Mosholu Montefiore Community Center, a member of United Neighborhood Houses, receives funding from the UJA Federation.

At Mosholu Montefiore CDC, we make a strong commitment in working with our parents. Our parents are an essential part of our program. Parent involvement and improving parental relationships is a goal of our program. We strongly encourage the participation of parents in our program. Through volunteering and serving on our Parent Association, our parents become a vital part in their child’s education.

We at Mosholu Montefiore Child Development Center would like to make you aware of the purpose and function of our child care programs and we will also like to inform you of certain rules and regulations that pertain to the program for the safety of your children. Our child care programs are geared toward providing the opportunity for added cognitive, social, and emotional developmental growth of the children. All three areas are extremely important to the program. Our goals are as follows:

The cognitive needs of each student are addressed by exploring the educational needs of each child. Materials from the various domains are used to develop this area. We assist the children in becoming confident learners by allowing them to undertake their ideas, by helping them acquire learning skills such as the ability to pour without spilling, by assembling simple puzzles, by building and stacking objects, by expressing themselves through speech, by working with other children, and by helping them to identify and name objects and describe events. We also help the children acquire new skills such as washing of hands and face.

We help the children meet their social and psycho-social needs by helping them feel comfortable; helping them trust their new environment by helping them make friends and feel that they are part of a group. Our responsibility is also to provide a stimulating, varied and safe environment in which children play, explore and inquire. We also help the children learn real life skills such as toileting, putting on and taking off shoes and socks, as well as helping the children learn self discipline and to show affection.

We address the children’s emotional needs by helping them experience pride and self-confidence, by developing independence and self-control and by showing them a positive attitude toward life. We address their physical needs by exposing the children to various gross motor skill development activities such as free play, outdoor and indoor recreation and teaching the children about their body and hygiene.

Our dedicated staff is qualified and certified by the City of New York Department of Education, NYC Department of Health and the Agency for Children’s Services. Each staff person is qualified in a different field of education. Our staff submits a weekly lesson plan which is reviewed by the program Educational Director. The lesson plan allows the flexibility of time in which children with deficiencies in particular areas can be addressed by the educational staff and social service staff.