The Bugbee Children's Center provides care for infants (8 weeks to 18 months), toddlers (18 months to 3 years), and preschool children (3 to 5 years). Children attending elementary school during the day may enroll in the school-age program for holidays and vacations. The goal for the center is to provide a safe, healthy, caring, and stimulating environment for children. This environment is designed to meet the children's developmental needs by being emotionally nurturing, physically safe, and cognitively challenging. In addition, the center serves parents by providing a support service which allows parents to work or attend college with the confidence that their children will be in a safe, caring, learning environment.
A program of daily activities for preschoolers and toddlers includes individual and group time, free choice and structured activities as well as quiet and active periods. The classroom environment is divided into areas offering creative art and music activities, dramatic play, books, cognitive games, and puzzles and other fine motor activities. Large indoor areas and age-appropriate outdoor playgrounds provide opportunities for climbing, running, tricycling, and other large motor activities. The emphasis for infants is on a nurturing, warm, caring, home-like environment. There is a balance of both new and familiar experiences to serve as stimuli for learning through play and exploration. Opportunities to experience the world are available through both indoor and outdoor activities. Care of infants is individualized to provide a consistency between home and the center.
The Center provides breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack for older infants, toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children. Meals are prepared on the premises according to the Child and Adult Care Food Program guidelines and are served to the children "family style." With the consent of parents for infants (8 weeks to one year of age) food and milk/formula can be provided by the center.