Play, & Praise

A Place for Children to:

• Learn
• Play
• Praise
• Develop as a whole child
• Form friendships
• Be herself/himself

The Children’s Center at First Presbyterian Church was opened on September 3, 1980, with five classrooms. Since then, the Children’s Center has adopted the mission to show the children, on a daily basis, aspects of Christian living and God’s love for each child through the teaching and example of the teachers, staff and members of the church staff.  It is because of the excellent staff and mission that the Children’s Center has grown and become one of the best in San Antonio.

Call the Children’s Center Office at 210-225-0960 for more information.

The Children’s Center is accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs (a division of NAEYC). Accreditation represents the consensus of early childhood professionals regarding the definition of high-quality programs for young children.

About NAEYC Accreditation

Standards and Licensing

The program adheres to the Minimum Standard Rules for Child Care Centers and is licensed by the Texas Department of Health & Human Services.

Texas Child Care Licensing Website

Texas Health & Human Services Website

Texas Child Care Minimum Standards

THHS Parent Resources

THHS Parent Notification Poster

THHS Parent Keeping Children Safe

The Children's Center at First Presbyterian boasts a program that includes the following:

• Infants, Toddlers, Preschoolers (6 weeks—Age 5)
• Year-round care
• Full Time Program : Monday- Friday, 7:00 AM – 5:30 PM
• Part Time Program: 2-day, 3-day or 5-day options, 8:30 AM – 4:30 PM
• Qualified, nurturing, experienced staff
• Developmentally appropriate curriculum
• Reggio Emilia Inspired
• Lunch and snacks provided
• Weekly chapel service
• Special Summer Activities

Our Philosophy

Our educational approach is inspired by the Reggio Emilia way.

• We believe each child is a unique individual with a hundred languages and have the right to learn with capacity to drive their own success.
• We believe in a developmental approach to learning so,

1. Children set their own pace, perspective, and direction,
2. Children discover and investigate based on their own interests and curiosity,
3. Children are encouraged to be independent and seek out solutions to their problems.
4. Environments are set up to inspire, engage, immerse, and support children’s learning.

• We believe that the process of learning is as important as the content of learning.
• We believe parents are the primary teacher in a child’s life, and we do everything possible to ensure parental involvement.
• We believe that providing a Christian environment and promoting Christian values sets children up to be kind, caring, and loving people in society.

The daily program provides for a variety of experiences, levels of difficulty and individual pacing. There is a balance of quiet/active, large/small muscle, child/staff initiated and large/small group activities. Learning center activities include: dramatic play, blocks, manipulatives, music, art, library, science, math, computers, and other experiences throughout each day. To help children reach their maximum potential, the center’s program uses authentic assessment in the planning of individualized experiences based on early learning standards for content areas, such as literacy, math, science, and social studies. Birth-to-three standards and benchmarks for early learning include the areas of communication, cognitive, social-emotional, creative expression, and motor development. The Children’s Center provides a variety of developmentally appropriate activities that emphasize concrete experimental learning to achieve the following goals:

• Foster positive self-concept
• Develop social skills
• Encourage children to think, reason, question and experiment
• Encourage language development
• Encourage and demonstrate sound health, safety and nutritional practices
• Enhance physical development and skills
• Encourage creative expression and appreciation for the arts
• Respect cultural diversity of children, families and staff

Promote early spiritual development of children with foundations based on trust, concern for and acceptance of others.

School Calendar

Parent Handbook

Too Sick for School

Immunization & Screening Form

Non-Prescription Topical Medications

Medication Authorization Form

Infant Care Sheet

Room Parent Interest Form

THHS Parent Notification Poster

THHS Parent Keeping Children Safe

NAEYC Family Resources