Westminster Early Childhood Programs
724 Delaware Avenue Buffalo, NY 14209-2294
Phone (716) 884-9438 | Fax (716) 886-7641
To receive an application or to set up a tour, please contact us.
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Westminster Early Childhood Programs (WECP) offers something special to infants, toddlers, and preschoolers. It is a place of warmth, happiness, friendship and kindness where children are loved, respected, and intellectually challenged. For more than fifty-eight years, WECP has provided exemplary experiences in early care and education for young children, giving them a strong, solid foundation in becoming caring, thinking, life-long learners.
Our Mission
The mission of WECP is to provide each child with a safe, nurturing environment that encourages self-esteem, individuality and respect for diversity. This environment fosters each child's development socially, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually, and physically.gki
What We Offer
- Flexible programming at one site
- An all-day program
- A part day program Infant and toddler programs
- Preschool Plus program for five year olds
- Child enrichment programs (such as dance, music and Spanish)
- Family fun programs
- A unique approach to your child's education which is spiritual, integrated and diverse
Our Campus
Surrounding our historic brick building and beautiful gardens are three playgrounds designed specifically for young children. These playgrounds, along with our indoor gyms, give children the chance to develop and practice the many physical activities that form the foundation of later physical skills.
Our most recently designed playground, completed in the spring of 2008, is universally accessible and offers diverse equipment and activities for children of all abilities to enjoy.
Our Leaders:
Priscilla Maddock, Co-Director
I have been at Westminster Early Childhood Programs (WECP) since 1998. The warm, welcoming, nurturing environment that fosters each child's development and the loving relationships among staff and children make WECP a very special place to be.
As the directors, Karen Dearing and I are responsible for 200 children aged 8 weeks through 5 years, 180 families, and 45 staff members! Our jobs are exciting, challenging and rewarding. We feel a strong sense of responsibility as we strive to maintain and enhance the school's more than 58 year history of high quality and excellence in the field of early childhood education.
WECP is a mission of Westminster Presbyterian Church and we have a strong, positive partnership. One of my favorite parts of every week is Chapel when we share a 15 minute, non-denominational service with the children. We thank God for our world and the important people in it; it is a wonderful way to nurture each child's spiritual development, and it is so important to take that time each week. I call Chapel our "warm and fuzzy" time; seriously, what it does is remind us that we're all part of one family, and we care about and for each other. I am thrilled to be part of the Westminster family, and I am glad to be part of the exciting future of our school, church, and most importantly, our children.
Karen Koness Dearing
Co-Director
It is a wonderful pleasure to work for WECP. I began my work with WECP in 1984 as the Educational Coordinator with then director, Dorothy B. Millard. I continued in this position until 1987. I then returned to Westminster in a similar position in 1995 and worked in this role until I became Director in June of 1998, a position I now share with my partner Priscilla Maddock.
Educationally, I hold a B.S. in Child Development and a M. Ed. in Early Childhood Education. My previous work experiences includes lots of teaching -from preschool and kindergarten to college courses in Early Childhood Education at various local colleges. On a personal note, I am also the mother of four children who all attended Westminster Early Childhood Programs.
Working as the Co-Ddirector of WECP is an exciting and enriching opportunity. Westminster has an excellent reputation in our community as an outstanding early childhood center and it is easy to see why. The building and grounds are beautiful, the church fully supports the program in many unique and caring ways.The program itself fully encompasses a developmentally apppropriate curriculum and it is staffed with dedicated, highly trained teachers who are committed to young children. Lastly, as in any excellent school, the parents are very committed to helping the school in a variety of ways and are so supportive. This teamwork approach of all facets make it a wonderful place to spend my working days. It is my hope along with Priscilla Maddock, to continue Westminster's mission of providing a high quality early childhood program.
Our Exceptional Faculty
Westminster recognizes that the quality of the child's educational experiences is directly related to the quality of the faculty.
Our teachers are trained in child development, as well as in early childhood education. Each faculty member participates in ongoing in-service professional development.
- Low teacher/child ratios allow teachers to focus on each child's individual strengths and skills.
- Our teachers are sensitive and responsive to the needs of the children.
- They know that warm, nurturing relationships with children foster healthy emotional development, and form the foundations for their successful learning experiences.
- Our faculty members help children with decision-making and problem solving skills as the children explore the worlds of reading, math, science, arts, music, and drama.
- Our teachers nourish social awareness and communications. They model and teach sharing and caring, building conflict resolution skills.
Our Unique Start to Your Child's Education
Parent Partnerships: Westminster parents are integrally involved in the operation of the school, as well as in the day-to-day happenings in the classroom. Our parent involvement program promotes solid partnerships that strengthen the bonds between school and home, and enhance the experience of the child.
Spiritual Component: The children participate each week in a non-denominational Chapel experience to celebrate God's goodness and love. We give thanks for all the good things in this world; we sing interfaith songs and focus on kindness to each other. This non-denominational approach to spiritual growth in our Chapel celebrates diverse beliefs and invites sharing of special traditions and customs.
Outreach: WECP welcomes children with special needs, as well as children and families who reflect the cultural, racial, ethnic, religious and economic diversity of our community.
Integration: Through partnerships with the Kaleida Health Women and Children's Hospital Early Childhood Program and the Heritage Education Program, children with special needs are fully integrated into our programs. These inclusion opportunities are successful and beneficial for all children at WECP.
Financial Assistance: Westminster is committed to offering its services to all children, regardless of socio-economic status. Through the help of local foundations and contributions from Westminster Presbyterian Church, WECP has been able to increase its scholarships, and offer financial assistance to families in need.
National Accreditation
WECP proudly displays the NAEYC torch - the sign of NAEYC accreditation. In October 2007, Westminster Early Childhood Programs was re-accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The accreditation process was reinvented and launched in September of 2006, so we were among the first centers to successfully achieve accreditation.
NAEYC accreditation is a very rigorous voluntary process by which early childhood programs demonstrate that they meet national standards of excellence. Child care centers, preschools, kindergartens, and before and after school programs are eligible to seek NAEYC accreditation.
"The heart of NAEYC accreditation focuses on the child's experience," said Barbara Willer, spokesperson for NAEYC. "The process carefully considers all aspects of a program including health and safety, staffing, staff qualifications, and physical environment. The greatest emphasis is on the children's relationships with the staff and how the program helps each child grow and learn intellectually, physically, socially, and emotionally."