Helping to shape our youth into confident, productive, well-adjusted people since 1980.

As a well-known African proverb states, “It takes a village to raise a child.” The Fairplex Child Development Center strives to be a key part of that “village.” The Center is a private, non-profit organization in partnership with the Los Angeles County Fair Association and the University of La Verne.

In 1980, the Center began as a child care resource for Fairplex employees. In 1991, two major milestones occurred. A new building was constructed to increase enrollment capacity, and the Center formed a partnership with the University of La Verne. This new alliance established the Center as a Lab School and hands-on training facility for students pursuing a Child Development Degree from the University of La Verne.

Today, the Center serves children eight weeks to six years of age, in specially designed infant, toddler and preschool classrooms. The Center is licensed under Title 22 under the Department of Social Services. We follow Title 5 under the California Department of Education Code for teacher qualifications and ratios.

Teacher-to-student ratios
Infants 1 to 3
Toddlers 1 to 4
Preschoolers 1 to 8

Integrating development of the whole child.
Our curriculum focuses on a child’s four primary developmental domains: cognitive, language, social-emotional and physical. We emphasize first-hand experiences in play, oral language, listening, books and phonemic awareness. Our facility is adjacent to the grounds of the nation’s largest county fair. This provides the unique opportunity to have amazing hands-on educational experiences – “from Apples to Zoo” -- that cannot be taught in a classroom.

Our observation-based assessment provides useful feedback for teachers and families. It also enables us to plan appropriate experiences for individual children and groups, enhancing all areas of their development as well as helping families plan their children’s educational, emotional and social growth progress.

Serving the early education needs of all types of children.

Children are accepted into the Fairplex Child Development Center program regardless of income, religion, ethnicity, gender, culture, language, family values or developmental differences. The Center is a full-inclusion program, integrating children with special needs (developmental disabilities) in the same program with other children.

Research – and our own experience -- indicates that the practice of inclusion helps special-needs children improve faster and gain confidence early in life, providing them with the crucial self esteem they’ll need throughout life. Inclusion also helps regular children enhance their confidence and learn the important value of diversity, patience, tolerance and acceptance at a young age. Our staff is specially trained to teach and resolve issues in a full-inclusion environment.

Equal opportunities for our diverse communities.
A portion of enrollment is reserved for low-income families who qualify for California Department of Education Child Development Division subsidized funding. Subsidized families are enrolled based on income, eligibility and employment training status criteria, as well as referrals from the Department of Social Services. Through our full-inclusion commitment and subsidized enrollment program, the Fairplex Child Development Center is able to serve the wide-ranging needs of our diverse population.

How quality makes a significant difference in child development.

What does “quality” really mean in early childhood education? Low staff turnover. Low teacher-to-children ratios. High education levels of teachers. And a nurturing environment. The Fairplex Child Development Center combines all these essential factors to serve children of all backgrounds, including those with special needs.

At the heart of our philosophy is a partnership with families, encouraging open communication and dialogue. Studies clearly show that children whose families are interested and involved in their early education will achieve maximum academic and social success. That’s why parent participation is a key aspect of our program. Our social gatherings and child-related entertainment create strong connections among member parents, influencing the growth of the families and their children. Through our Parent Advisory Committee, volunteer parents provide these important functions:

• Participate in decision making for our programs
• Provide fund-raising support
• Help determine the content of our parent-education programs, which assist in developing positive discipline and first-aid techniques, determining reading readiness, and providing other parental support

The center’s cooperative system makes our organization more responsive to the needs of our member families, which further enhances our ability to deliver quality service.

Commitment to quality earns high honors.
Research also shows that child-education teachers’ level of education is critical to quality. All our staff members possess child development permits and credentials from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Many of our teachers hold advanced degrees in child development, and most are in continuing-education programs to maintain the latest knowledge of child development techniques. All staff members undergo thorough background checks and a comprehensive training program.

Through our dedication to quality, we’ve earned recognition as one of the State’s top early childhood education centers by the Department of Education. The 2002 Children Now report cited the Center as an example of a very high quality early childhood education program, and commended the Center for its commitment to continuing education for college students. We also received an award of accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) – a nationally renowned organization for over 75 years.