At the Port Washington Children’s Center we believe that young children learn through play as they explore the world around them. With the guidance of nurturing, experienced teachers, children engage in developmentally appropriate hands-on experiences building their knowledge of the world around them.
Teachers develop their curriculum based on the interests of the children in their classes, creating rich, meaningful learning environments. Receptive and expressive language is developed through books, songs, listening games and dramatic play.
Teachers encourage children’s emerging interests in writing. Creative expression is also encouraged through art, music and dance. We encourage social interaction which allows children to establish positive feelings about themselves and others.
HISTORY
In 1975, a group of concerned citizens under the auspices of the Port Washington Community Council set up a steering committee to establish a child care center in Port Washington. Its purpose was to serve the economically and culturally diverse population of the community.
In the Summer of 1977, PWCC received both a grant and a loan from the North Shore Unitarian Church, Veatch Foundation, making it possible to open in our very first location, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. The Children’s Center, a licensed, private non-profit facility, began caring for 32 children. By the end of the year, the center had outgrown this space and moved to the Merriman School (an excessed school in the Port Washington School District). There the Center flourished and grew, increasing its capacity to 68 children.
In 1988, the center moved to the Flower Hill School and was able to provide care for 113 children from the ages of three years thru five years in our early childhood program and five through 12 years in our after-school program. In 1995, the center moved to its present location in the Landmark Building where it served 121 children. Over the next few years, our numbers increased along with the number of classrooms we utilized. Toddlers, 18 months thru 36 months, joined our program. We once again rented space from St. Stephen’s Church allowing us to serve even more children.
In the Fall of 2009, PWCC expanded its afterschool program to Sousa Elementary and then to Daly Elementary in Fall 2010. Our year-round program now is able to provide care for up to 92 children in Early Childhood and 170 school age children.
In the Summer of 2010, the Children’s Center was awarded the privilege of directing the school district’s summer recreation program, ATLAST. ATLAST, renamed, Port Day Camp, is now very much a part of the Center and makes it possible for us to provide high quality, affordable summer programs for even more children in our community.
Over these many years, many families have established friendships to last a life-time. Pre-schoolers have grownup and joined our teaching staff. Several teachers have met and married co-workers and the next generation now attends our center.,
Our Mission
The Port Washington Children’s Center provides high quality child care for families who reside or work in the community of Port Washington.
Our Philosophy
The PWCC provides a safe, nurturing setting for all our children. Our goal is to help them become productive, responsible members of society. We do this by offering a wide variety of activities that promote individual growth, giving them many opportunities to make choices, to be creative, to problem solve and to learn conflict resolution.
We strive to maintain the highest standards of early childhood education promoting research-based age-appropriate toddler, pre-school and school-age practices which allow the children to best learn and grow.
Credentialed early childhood teachers head our Toddler and Pre-School programs, providing experience, knowledge, and warmth. Our educational philosophy is that young children learn as they explore the world around them. As children play they are developing cognitively, physically and social-emotionally, learning to express themselves creatively while developing stronger communication skills. The PWCC grows children to be good people, living and appreciating the diversity within their community.
Our KidsPort teachers have related educational backgrounds and/or expertise in working with school-age children. KidsPort’s emphasis is on providing a relaxing, enjoyable experience that offers youngsters enrichment and recreation. We try to replicate the neighborhood where children have opportunities to interact with friends of varied ages, as well as their own age group. Children also have the opportunity to do homework as needed.
Admissions Policies PWCC 2024-2025 Tuition Schedule Under the current PWCC Tuition Schedule
We are excited to meet you and your child!
The Children’s Center strives to keep our tuition rates affordable. We offer scholarship assistance as well as having a contract with Nassau County Department of Social Services (DSS). Please contact us if you need financial assistance.
Tuition Payments are due on the 20th before the first of each month. Payments made by cash or check (payable to PWCC) are accepted in the main office at the Landmark Building during normal business days between the hours of 8am to 6pm. You may also pay by credit card on our website.
Tuition is due even when your child is absent, whether for illness or vacation and when the Port Washington Children’s Center is closed for a holiday, transition day or an emergency.
If tuition should become delinquent, we reserve the right to discharge a child from the program.
Certain forms are required by New York State. In order to be compliant with New York State, we ask you to update the appropriate forms for your programs annually. Any questions call the center.
Please submit your application to childcare@pwchildrenscenter.org and please confirm receipt of any paperwork you send in.
ProCare Account Registration
Registration will be a two-step process to ensure a smooth experience for all PWCC parents. Here’s what you need to do to secure your child’s spot in our programming, including our Step-Up Program, and afterschool programs Kids Port and Port AfterSchool (PAS):
Step 1: Create your family account on ProCare. Click here to create Your Family Account and start the registration process. Through this initial step, parents will create their family account, providing essential details for a seamless enrollment process. Please only enter ONE parent/guardian information at this time. Please make sure to clear your browse cache and to use Private/Incognito mode as the system is currently experiencing some issues.
Step 2: Select the program and customize your account. Within 2 working days of creating your family account, you’ll be all set to proceed to the second step! In this stage, you can register your child for the desired program, such as our Port AfterSchool program, and choose the specific days you want them to attend, select suitable pick-up times, as well as explore various vendor options.
Expect an Email Confirmation from ProCare. After successfully completing the family account, you will receive an email confirmation within 2 working days. After this confirmation you will be able to access your new account and proceed with the program registration process.
Port AfterSchool offers a diverse range of engaging and educational activities, ensuring your child’s after-school hours are well spent in a safe and nurturing environment. If you have any questions or encounter any issues during the registration process, feel free to contact our team at pas@pwchildrenscenter.org. Registration for PAS September will close on Monday, August 14th. Families that register after that time will be starting in October.