The Child Development Centers of APG are places of learning and nurturing for all of our children from 6 weeks to 6 years of age. They provide year-around (closed only for Federal holidays) full-day and hourly programs and before- and after-Kindergarten and Pre-Kindergarten services to meet the needs of soldiers and their families.

Utilizing the creative curriculum, our approach balances both teacher-directed and child-initiated learning, with an emphasis on responding to children's learning styles and building on their strengths and interests. We provide opportunities for learning in literacy, math, science, social studies, the arts, technology, and personal hygiene and health. Yet, we never lose sight of the importance of children's social/emotional development. The most important goal of our early childhood curriculum is to help children become enthusiastic learners. This means encouraging children to be active and creative explorers who are not afraid to try out their ideas and to think their own thoughts.

Full Day Care. The Child Development Centers are open for full day care Monday - Friday 6 a.m. - 6 p.m. for children 6 weeks to 5 years. Costs are based on total family income (see fees) as directed by the Department of Defense Patron Fee Policy. Each child is assigned to a primary caregiver. Activities are based on observations.

Hourly Care. The Hourly Care program is designed to meet the needs of parents who need child care on an intermittent basis. To make an hourly reservation, call AA CDC at 410-278-5748 or EA CDC at 410-436-2692. Give your child's name, age, and the date and time for which hourly care is needed. Reservations will be taken no more that one week in advance. Monthly calendars are available, depending on age. Child care is limited to a maximum of 25 hours per week per child. The fee is $4 per hour. In the event a patron fails to use the reserved hourly care time, fees will be assessed, since the space could not be used by another family. Contact each center for the hours the hourly care program is available. Special consideration is given to families that have appointments at Kirk Army Clinic. Please inform the centers when making your reservation. All spaces are reserved on a first-come basis.

Kindergarten and Pre-school care. The Centers provide before and after school care for children attending full-day Kindergarten or part-day pre-school at Roye Williams Elementary in the Aberdeen area and Edgewood Elementary in the Edgewood Area. Children are transported from the CDC's to school on Harford County school buses. Children who are enrolled in other schools must be transported to their schools by their parents. Meals are offered to children in the center before the bus comes in the morning, and upon the return of the children at noon for the pre-school children and at the end of the day for Kindergarteners. The APG Child Development Centers strive to enhance the learning that takes place in the County schools by providing a variety of activities and materials that are age-appropriate and reflect their interests. Parents are responsible for enrollment in the school and to notify them of their child's attendance in the Child, Youth & School Services CDC program.

Food Program. The meals that are served - breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snack - are based on USDA guidelines. Both Centers participate in the Maryland Department of Education Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). Menus are posted in the activity rooms and are on a 7-week cycle reflecting the season. Parents of infants on formula can choose to have their infant receive the center-supplied formula or formula provided from home. All other infant food is provided as well. Families will work with the classroom staff to develop a feeding plan for their infant.

Accreditation. Both CDC's have been accredited though the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) since 1991. Accreditation is a nationally recognized credential based on national developmentally appropriate standards for young children. The Department of the Army is committed to providing their families the highest quality childcare available and expects Army CDC's to achieve this benchmark. Accreditation is not easy. It takes months of self-study, preparation, parent surveys and implementation to achieve this status. The benefit of becoming accredited is to continue to learn and improve the quality of our programs to be the best we can be.

Staff. The staff at the CDC's are well trained. Within the first 18 months of hire a minimum of 210 classroom hours of training must be completed, and each year after that they are required to complete 24 hours of annual training. All training meets health, safety and facility standards to support the philosophy for creating a safe, nurturing and supportive learning environment. There is a full-time trainer (Training and Curriculum Specialist) on staff to oversee this professional development training program. All required background checks of AR 215-3 and the Crime Control Act must be successfully completed and maintained by the staff.

Special Needs Resource Team. The CDC's care for exceptional family members. Families with special needs children attend a meeting with the Special Needs Resource Team (SNRT) in order to determine if placement is appropriate. The CDC is capable of caring for children who can be integrated into the program without requiring a change in child/staff ratios. Placement is on an individual basis.

Communication. It is important for parents and care giving staff to communicate on a daily basis. This is done in a variety of ways: verbally as your child is dropped off and picked up, in journals, and written daily accomplishments. Parent conferences are offered twice a year and as needed to discuss your child's progress. This also provides you with the opportunity to share with us your goals for you child as well as our individual plans for you child. If you have any questions or concerns, you are strongly encouraged to make an appointment to discuss this with your child's primary caregiver or room lead.

Open Door Policy. We are very proud of our staff and programs at AA and EA CDC's. We maintain an open door policy and encourage parents to visit the centers any time their child is in care. You are encouraged to spend time in your child's activity room to get to know the program and the staff that are providing care. If at any time you have concerns or questions about the program, the staff is available, as well as the Director/Assistant Director. Please give us the opportunity to work with you.

Parent Participation.Parent involvement is highly encouraged. It is important that parents are invited to join their child in the center and to volunteer in various activities (Please make prior arrangements with your child's activity room). The Parent Child Care Association (PCCA) holds monthly meetings which are open to all parents and are held the second Wednesday of every month at the Edgewood Area CDC at 12 p.m. and at the
Aberdeen Area CDC the second Wednesday at 12 p.m. Child care is provided.