We believe the purpose of early education in the university setting is multidimensional:
- Children require care in a safe nurturing place that parents can trust when children and parents are apart.
- Children require a developmentally appropriate program that fully promotes each child’s physical, social, emotional and intellectual
skills with respect for individual dispositions and interests. - Student parents need a support system as they confront the multiple demands of childrearing school and work.
- The University benefits from a learning laboratory where students can engage in meaningful experiences in their chosen field.
- We strive for an atmosphere that respects the individual differences of children and their parents, and yet appreciates the similarity in all of us. Children are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, without discrimination in regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age or marital status of parents, socioeconomic status and abilities, as space is available. A pre-enrollment meeting is required to discuss the needs of individual children and their families to make certain that the facility can accommodate the requirements for care and education of each child and meet the expectations of families.
The Academy operates on the principles of best practice laid out by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Programming at the Academy is geared toward providing children with an enriched, developmentally appropriate environment from which they can explore experiences that best fit with their individual interests and personalities.
The environment is carefully constructed by knowledgeable staff, in consultation with faculty from Marshall University Early Childhood Education program, to provide active opportunities for children to creatively add to their base of knowledge and skills.
Services at the Academy are designed to meet the needs of University students who are parents. Priority is given to students enrolled at Marshall University. Enrollment is open to Marshall
University faculty, staff and families in the community as space is available.
The Child Development Academy strives to offer the highest quality services within a framework that is affordable to families. Fees are based on a sliding scale. Students may also be eligible for academy fee assistance.
