Where are we located?

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.

Priscilla Maddock
Early Childhood Programs Co-Director
pmaddock@westminster-bflo.org

I have been at Westminster Early Childhood Programs (WECP) since 1998. It is a wonderful place to work. 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 each other and care 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
Early Childhood Programs Co-Director
kdearing@westminster-bflo.org

It is a wonderful pleasure to work for Westminster Early Childhood programs. 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. Previous work experiences have included teaching Preschool and Kindergarten, along with teaching 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 director of Westminster Early Childhood Programs 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.

What Sets Us Apart?

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.

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. 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.

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.

Through play and exploration we foster children's creativity, curiosity and confidence as they become problem solvers, critical thinkers, and life-long learners.

We develop warm relationships with adults and children, building a sense of caring and community for all families.

National 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. Over 8,000 NAEYC early childhood education programs serve families nationally.

"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."

WECP proudly displays the NAEYC torch - the sign of NAEYC accreditation. Parents who look for the torch when choosing early childhood education programs for their children will find programs which have made a commitment to excellence for young children and families.