Lancaster Early Education Center, formerly Lancaster Day Care Center

y care and educational experiences in the early years, a time of explosive growth in brain development, have a lasting and critical impact on children’s development. High-quality and affordable child care programs, like LEEC, promote early learning and support children’s school readiness, as well as generating economic development for our community. WHAT is Lancaster Early Education Center? In 1915, LEEC was established by a matron and a group of community volunteers. Originally named Lancaster Day Nursery, Lancaster Early Education Center is a register 501(c)3, non-profit early care and education center. Our STAR 4 rating, through Pennsylvania’s Keystone Stars Quality Initiative Program, is maintained annually. Our program provides high quality early care and education in a nurturing environment that is based on the importance of secure relationships. LEEC helps strengthen families by allowing them to work or go to school. Program activities include a developmentally appropriate curriculum based on authentic observations and assessment as well as the Pennsylvania early learning standards, the positive guidance approach (based on the Positive Behavior Support Model), and a comprehensive parenting component. In turn, children are given the confidence and skills to successfully enter school ready to learn. Our overall intent is that children enter school ready to learn, are emotionally secure, and families are strengthened and empowered. It is also our intent that families’ succeed economically and emotionally, strengthening our overall community. WHO does Lancaster Early Education Center serve? Our target population includes children in low/moderate income working families. Clients must either be working full-time or in a full-time job training program. Child care helps parents work, which helps our economy. Our economy cannot fully recover if families lack the child care they need to stay employed and to build a better future for themselves and their children. Without affordable child care, many of these families have no choice but to leave jobs or school and sign up for public assistance. On a daily basis, we serve over one hundred children by providing full-time early care and education services from 6:30am to 5:30pm, Monday through Friday. WHERE is Lancaster Early Education Center located? We are located at 150 South Queen Street in downtown Lancaster. LEEC is located adjacent to major bus routes, within walking distance of downtown and is in close proximity of three homeless shelters. Situated in one of Lancaster’s most poverty stricken and under-served neighborhoods, LEEC is able to conveniently serve the families that are most at risk for economic hardships and school failure.