Welcome To The Southwood Center Day Care in Columbia, IL

In our Columbia IL child care location we offer two infant rooms. Our infant program ranges from ages 6 weeks to 15 months. Our environment has been created to offer everyday opportunities for our babies to optimize the immense amount of learning that is happening in these little brains. It is important for your child to develop a relationship with our teachers. Our teachers work each day to learn about your child and how they respond to the world. They accomplish this through getting to know your child’s temperament, what they need emotionally and how they learn.

Our schedule in the infant room is flexible and will mirror the child’s own schedule at home, as much as possible. We encourage our parents to communicate with our teachers on a daily basis.

The brain development in these children is astounding. Studies reveal that infants spend 60% of their energy every day on brain development, hence the massive amount of sleeping!  There are no words to describe how important that makes each and every one of our interactions with them. Your child will be met by warm adults that make them feel safe. Each day they will participate in activities that are age appropriate and encourage brain development, physical activity, and social emotional skills.

These sweet little babies have just done an immense amount of growing in the first fifteen months, and they are not ready to stop! Everything that happens in a child’s life is meaningful and this age is no different!

During this stage, children are typically characterized by their growth and change in the area of social/emotional development because they begin to assert some independence. Their favorite word becomes “NO”!

These little guys need a lot of patience. Their feelings tend to be strong and their reactions intense. They sometimes begin to feel new, increasing fears. Teachers in this age group understand that these children have not yet developed to a point where they can remember rules. They are still egocentric, meaning they are the center of their own world. While their attention span is short, they are learning names of familiar people and objects and many more milestones during this period. It is important for teachers to be able to identify the needs of this age group; which will have a direct impact on the reduction of negative behavior. Children at this age tend to struggle to communicate their needs, leading to incidents such as biting. Introducing sign language early and helping children understand how to communicate without words is important.

Our two year old room is so busy! We offer a comfortable, inviting environment to ensure that children feel welcomed and secure. This age is typically known for defiance. While they are still very egocentric, they are beginning to play with children rather than next to them. We work to focus on understanding these behaviors for what they are. Children are always trying to decide how they fit into their world. They are even more independent than they were in their previous class. Teachers will help them to express their feelings and wishes; learn how to coordinate and use their large and small muscles for even more complex tasks; and learn the many different skills to prepare for preschool.

This location has two pre-k classrooms. Our Columbia IL preschool program and curriculum fully aligns with standards set forth by The Illinois State Board of Education, they directly correlate with the standards set for Kindergarten in the State of Illinois.

Children First believes that a solid educational foundation should include cognitive, physical, & social-emotional development. With this foundation, children will become more successful in their future school life.  Upon enrollment at the center, your child will be screened within 30 days for any developmental delays or concern areas of development that we will want to focus on. Quarterly your child will be assessed, these results are shared with parents.

 Children will have a variety of opportunities throughout the day to exercise their brains and bodies in all of these necessary areas.

Typically, children have an opportunity to engage in activities which promote social interaction and life skills. Examples include, self-serve lunch, leadership roles within the classroom and special daily jobs. From time-to-time, our center will adjust our procedures to comply with the latest health and safety guidelines. Additionally, the children will spend time during the day in centers where they have the chance to explore all areas of learning.

School Age children are 5-12 years of age. This is the biggest age gap of any room in our center.  The teachers are tasked with providing an environment that allows for the developmental growth and challenge for all ages. Children have access to a variety of different activities. These activities are labeled by age/skill level. The children are able to choose activities that will best suit their age and abilities.

Our school-age program is focused on keeping our children busy while they are with us. For our after school program, children are provided a relaxed environment after a long day at school. They are offered snacks and an opportunity to play outside. There is time available for children to complete homework. During the summer, we will embark on several weekly opportunities to leave the center and engage in another environment. We visit our local park weekly and take field trips. We often have individuals come in and visit us as well!