5 things to know about College of the Desert's new child development center in Indio
College of the Desert celebrated the completion of its new Child Development Center in Indio — across the street of its downtown campus on Oasis Street — with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Tuesday.
"[The ceremony] represents the growth of the child development area, which represents how citizens’ taxes always play a role in our community,” said Maria Avalos, COD's child development department chair and an associate professor. "This has been in growth motion for quite a while ... and it has to do with the sense of community that we have built up here."
She describes the center as two components: one is the brick-and-mortar early childcare center and the other is the learning lab for COD students enrolled in the child development and education program.
"The college, it's a public entity, right? I think it's fair to say that this is totally going to be an asset to our community," Avalos said.
Here are five important things to know about the center.
When will the childcare center open?
The center isn't open yet because it's in the process of securing the health and safety licensing essential to operate the early childcare facility.
"It's a lengthy process, but comprehensive," Avalos said. "Even though it's taking a little bit longer than we anticipate, it's okay because (safety is our No. 1 priority) and when the day comes, we'll be ready."
When it does open, the center will care for children from Monday to Friday every week. (There will also be a chef on site who will prep daily hot meals for the children.) The program has ambitions of eventually providing extended childcare in the evenings.
"It will help our students," Avalos said. "What a beautiful opportunity it would be to have it in the evenings. That's another goal that we have in mind and that we can hopefully accomplish as well."
How many children will benefit from the childcare center?
The childcare center has the capacity to care for 80 children. The facility is divided into two areas: one for toddlers — ranging in ages from 2 to 3 — and pre-school children, up to 5 years old.
"I always see it as a great benefit for our students and for the community — to be really served in their own area," Avalos said.
For the pre-schoolers, there will be 24 children in each classroom. The ratio is one teacher for every eight children; additional support will come from teaching assistants and student workers. (In fact, the teachers have already been hired and are currently working at COD's Palm Desert campus' childcare center.)
Whose children will the childcare center serve?
The children of COD students and faculty will benefit from the facility, as well as community members. The students' children, however, will be prioritized.
"It's a well-rounded program because if you're a parent, you can bring your child to school," Avalos said. "You can take classes, you can complete your certificate or degree. We offer family events to unify the community, like we do with the students. It's a win-win."
How can parents start the application process to enroll their children at the childcare center?
Parents can visit COD's McCarthy Center in Palm Desert to submit an application; a waiting list is now forming for the Indio campus.
What will the early childhood curriculum look like?
Avalos said that the center's highly qualified teachers are focused on delivering a current and age-appropriate curriculum. The program will work towards surpassing standards through a national accreditation by ensuring quality services, ranging from family engagement to professional development of its teachers. (COD's childcare center in Palm Desert is NAEYC-accredited.)
"We utilize the play-based approach," she said. "If children are playing, they are learning. That's why it's so critical that they have ample time to play every single day in any capacity and modality."
As Avalos explains it, play-based learning means that teachers will create an environment that is receptive to the interests and needs of the children by adapting and scaffolding the lesson plan based on what they observe.
"If I notice that a child is very much into plants, what do you do? You start planning your lesson based around plants because that child has an interest," she said. "When you do that, you really bring a very meaningful approach that the child has into real life experience and expand their knowledge."
The goal is to foster creativity and curiosity through intentional, teachable moments that allow children to strengthen their social-emotional skills and cognitive development during one of the most critical stages of their growth.
"Children need to be exploring their surroundings. If we do not allow them to be free, to really be themselves, you create apprehension," she said. "This way, the child is leading ... the one who is really creating those extensions of learning is the child themselves."
More: New College of the Desert child development center a reminder of the school's mission
Jennifer Cortez covers education in the Coachella Valley. Reach her at jennifer.cortez@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: 5 things to know about COD's new child development center in Indio
