CDC offers superb childcare Published March 14, 2012 By Michael Sampson 17th Force Support Squadron Commander GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas-- -- The Goodfellow Child Development Center is the place for your child to flourish and grow. We are so much more than a daycare...our teachers are trained to assist you, the parents, in the development of your children from birth to kindergarten. We work to create a home-like atmosphere in which children will be comfortable, safe and happy while enjoying various learning experiences on a daily basis. To that end, we ensure that our curriculum and activities are child-centered and play-based. We utilize the interests and abilities of the children to direct our teaching. The practices of Air Force child development programs are based on current knowledge of child development and early childhood education. We take the responsibility of supporting the development of the whole child very seriously. Our program acknowledges that children learn best through active, hands-on involvement with their environment, peers and caring adults. The CDC is licensed by the Defense Department and is inspected by the Air Force annually. We are also accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and are the only center in the local area to hold this prestigious status. The health and safety of your children is our number one priority. Our facility, to include the kitchen, is inspected monthly by Public Health and quarterly by the Base Fire Prevention Specialist and Safety Office. Our children and staff participate monthly in fire drill evacuation procedures as well. The classroom staff conducts daily fire, safety and health inspections of each classroom prior to the arrival of children. We respect each child's unique interests, experiences, abilities and needs, thus allowing us to be responsive to and appropriate for each child. We value children as individuals, as well as part of a group. We respect and support the ideals, cultures and values of families in their task of nurturing children. Our goals are to foster a positive identity and sense of emotional well-being; enhance social skills; encourage children to think, reason, question and experiment; promote language and literacy development; build physical development and skills; support sound health, safety, and nutritional practices; advance creative expression, representation, and appreciation for the arts; appreciate and respect cultural diversity and develop initiative and decision-making skills. Parents are encouraged to participate in daily and monthly activities with their children here at the center and to become active participants in the quarterly meetings of the Parent Advisory Board. On a weekly basis, teachers plan for parents to be involved in their classroom activities in some way. We are very fortunate to have 25 teachers in our classrooms that are not only trained for their particular age group, but have also received training in various educational techniques. These teachers work in conjunction with our Training and Curriculum Specialist to write weekly activity plans (individualized for the children in their care) and to ensure that developmentally appropriate activities are being offered on a daily basis. Six members of our staff have their Bachelor's degrees, thirteen have their CDA Degree and an additional three have their Associate's degrees in other areas. All staff members are required to complete 15 education related modules within 18 months of hire. All staff members that have completed the modules must receive at least 24 hours of training annually, including training on positive guidance, child abuse prevention, suicide prevention, food handlers and CPR. We currently have openings in the 2 year-old class and the 3-5 year-old class. However, as children transition to the next class, this provides us with additional openings. Spaces are limited so call (325) 654-3239 or (325) 654-3240 to receive more information or stop by Building. 906. We are open from 6:30 a.m. - 5:45 p.m. Monday-Friday. We are closed for all federal holidays and family days.