As the preschool search heats up, I wanted to put in a good word for the Lucy Daniels Center. This will be our family's 3rd year at the school, and we've been thrilled. It's a NAEYC Accredited, 5 star licensed nationally awarded progrm. You may have heard of them in Carolina Parent's column or quoted in national parenting magazines. This year they'll be offering classes for 3-4 year olds developing within the typical range or who have mild delays that would allow them to participate in an inclusive classroom setting. They also offer an Early Intervention Program for kids needing support in social/ emotional areas. \r
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As a parent, I was struck by several things that make this program different from others. First, it's an 11 month, half-day preschool. For us, this has provided a consistency that made going back to school after break easier. It's a secular program with a good mix of students from a variety of backgrounds. They also have smaller than required classes. The most important thing for us was the phase-in program, which allows you to slowly transition your child in at the beginning of the year by staying increasingly shorter periods until the child is comfortable staying on their own. For kids like mine who are incredibly attached and have a difficult time with separation, this is a wonderful thing in making them feel safe and secure. They also don't require that a child be potty-trained by a certain deadline, but work with the parents on the child's schedule. They've been great in helping our child deal with the changes that come with a new sibling. You can tell they really care about the kids. They call to let you know that the child is missed when they are out sick, and even offered to let my child talk to his friends on speaker phone when he'd been out a week sick. I can't say enough great things about them, and I strongly encourage those of you looking for a preschool to consider them.
Pros: teachers work closely with parents
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