Introduction
Since 1970 The Children's School has been operating as a Parent Cooperative Preschool offering the Greater Burlington community a high quality developmental program designed to recognize and meet the individual needs of children ages 3-5. Over the past three decades the school has been housed in several locations in the Burlington area including the Unitarian Church, Flynn Avenue where for a time we were a registered Montessori School, and All Saints Episcopal Church. After several years of searching for a permanent home, our current building on Patchen Rd. in South Burlington was purchased and renovated in 1993. In 2000 we received NAEYC accreditation. In 2004 we were able to enter into a partnership with four school districts in Chittenden County (Burlington, So. Burlington, Colchester and Chittenden South). This partnership has provided grant money through the Vermont Education Department to offer better staff benefits, scholarships and program enhancements. Throughout these changes, The Children's School has remained a parent cooperative in every sense of the word: it is an educational program that is defined, managed and supported by the parents. It offers parents a unique opportunity to play an active role in determining the nature and quality of the schooling their children receive.
Licensing and Accreditation
The State of Vermont Child Care Services Division licenses The Children's School. Licensure ensures that our program complies with regulation requirements related to the health, safety and welfare of the children enrolled in the program. State of Vermont Early Childhood Program Licensure Regulations can be viewed on the web at: http://www.state.vt.us/srs/childcare/license.htm.
The Children's School has received a Five Star Rating through the Vermont STARS program (Step Ahead Recognition System). Stars recognizes the accomplishments of registered and licensed programs for achievements above and beyond what is required by state regulations for licensed and registered child care programs.
In 2000 the Children's School received NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) Accreditation. NAEYC-accredited programs have demonstrated a commitment to providing a high quality program for young children and their families. Our program engaged in an extensive self-study based on the Academy's Criteria for High Quality Early Childhood Program. This self-study was verified during a site visit to the program by a team of trained volunteer validators. The validated self-study, including the program's responses to the validation visit, was reviewed by a 3-member national commission composed of recognized experts in child care and early childhood education, judged to be in substantial compliance with the Academy's Criteria, and granted accreditation for a three-year period. The Children's School was reaccredited for five more years in 2003 and again in 2008 for another five years. For more information about NAEYC visit their website at: http://www.naeyc.org.