University of Michigan - Flint

The mission of the University of Michigan-Flint's Early Childhood Development Center is to:

1. Promote the development of social, emotional, cognitive, linguistic, physical, and creative skills in an environment sensitive to each child's strengths and needs.
   
2. Provide opportunities to educate University of Michigan-Flint students in skills relevant to their professions
3. Offer high quality child care to our constituents:  students, faculty, staff, and community
4. Contribute to the ongoing development and education of early childhood professionals, families, and caregivers in the Flint area through research, collaboration, and teaching.

Philosophy for Education and Care of Children

The staff of the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) is committed to providing a high quality program for young children and their families.  The program is designed to promote the development of the total individual by helping each child to develop skills in the physical, social, emotional, and cognitive areas.  This is accomplished by providing a balanced program that includes both teacher-directed and child initiated activities, quiet as well as active experiences, and the recognition that learning occurs in both formal and informal settings, especially through play.

Young children are integrally connected to their homes and families, and it is understood that families are and should be the principle influence in their children's lives.  The ECDC seeks to be appropriately responsive to families.  Parents, teachers, and staff work together toward the goal of nurturing children in an environment where all are respected for their individual differences and provided with the building blocks for a lifelong love of learning.