Our Curriculum
Our childcare program is not only grounded in faith, providing a nurturing environment where our daily interactions help children develop a strong foundation, but we also proudly offer a research-based, comprehensive curriculum designed to nurture every child's growth from birth to age five. We blend high-quality, evidence-based approaches to support social-emotional development and academic readiness, ensuring children thrive in a warm and engaging center.
At the heart of our curriculum is STREAMin³, an innovative, interactions-based model developed by the University of Virginia's Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning. It focuses on five Core Skills—Relate, Regulate, Communicate, Think, Move—and six STREAM Skills (Science, Technology, Reading, Engineering, Art, Math). This seamless integration promotes sensitive, responsive interactions, cultural sensitivity, and playful learning experiences that build strong foundations for kindergarten success and beyond.
We complement this with Al's Pals, a nationally recognized, evidence-based social-emotional learning program for young children (ages 3–6). Through fun, interactive lessons featuring puppets, music, and real-life scenarios, Al's Pals helps children develop self-control, problem-solving, healthy decision-making, emotion regulation, and positive relationships—fostering resiliency and reducing challenging behaviors in a trauma-informed way.
Our teachers are specially trained in these proven frameworks, along with Thrive Birth to 5 principles—drawing from the Central Virginia initiative (led by Thrive Birth to Five as the Ready Region Central organization) to strengthen quality, access, and capacity in early childhood systems—and active participation in Virginia Quality Birth to Five (VQB5), the state's unified measurement and improvement system for publicly funded programs. This ensures our classrooms meet high standards for teacher-child interactions, curriculum implementation, and overall excellence.
Our learning methods emphasize:
Intentional, play-based interactions that adapt to each child's unique needs, interests, culture, and developmental stage.
Daily routines and activities that spark curiosity, encourage exploration, and support holistic growth—social, emotional, cognitive, physical, and language skills.
Responsive caregiving that builds secure relationships and promotes self-regulation from infancy through preschool.
