The UCP Early Learning Center knows every family’s needs are different and has enrollment options to fit your needs, including different scheduling options for our families.

What discounts does the UCP ELC have? 

• Sibling Discount Program
• Parent Referral Tuition Discount Program

What are my payment options? 

• Monthly payments: First business day of the month
• Weekly payments: Every Monday

Accepted payment options include Visa, Mastercard, American Express*, cash or check.

*Limitations apply

What Tuition Assistance does UCP accept?

• Department of Economic Security (DES) Childcare Subsidy
• Quality First Scholarship

The Early Learning Center utilizes emergent curriculum to implement the programs philosophy. Emergent curriculum encourages learning experiences to arise out of the children’s interests, experiences and actions.

Can you tell me more about emergent curriculum?

• Developmentally appropriate experiences are planned to meet the children’s needs for cognitive, physical, language and social emotional growth. Experiences include large group activities, small group activities and individual activities.
• Play is a valued learning time, as it provides children the opportunity to be creative and study the world around them.
• Teachers plan the environment to reflect the current topic/theme and incorporate the interests of the children in the program. Materials are available and organized to support independent use.
• Daily schedules provide a predictable yet flexible environment.
• Curriculum is responsive to the individual needs of the children, and provides opportunities for all children to participate at their developmental level through the use of adaptations and modifications.
• Family input and participation is integrated into the curriculum and environment. Individual family preferences, culture, holidays and traditions are welcomed into the curriculum and routines.
• Curriculum is planned weekly based upon the children’s current interests, but is ever changing and expanding in response to the children’s changing interests. Topics/themes may last a few days, or may span weeks.
• Children are routinely screened using the following assessment tools:  Ages & Stages Questionnaires® (ASQ) and Teaching Strategies Gold®. In addition, through collaboration with UCP’s early intervention program and clinic therapy program, ELC staff has other professionals to collaborate and consult with. The clinic therapy team provides opportunity for additional developmental screening for the three younger classrooms and an early handwriting screening for the Preschool annually for families who are interested.

Who will care for my child?

At UCP we believe that consistent caregiving by highly qualified individuals is key to fostering strong relationships and creating an optimal learning environment. Each classroom has designated Lead Teachers and Teachers to guide your child through daily activities.

What makes UCP Teachers “Highly Qualified?”

Fostering a lifelong love of learning is not only a job, but a career. As such, many of our Teachers hold Bachelor’s Degrees, Associates Degrees or a Child Development Associate credential in Early Childhood Education or related fields. Continuing education is highly encouraged, and many of our staff are furthering their education. In addition, many of the ELC staff have been at UCP for several years and have children who do or have participated in the UCP Early Intervention, clinic therapy and/or the ELC program, creating a unique family-oriented atmosphere.

What trainings do UCP teachers receive?

Mandatory:

• Article 9
• CPR and First Aid
• Bloodborne Pathogens
• Policies and Procedures for Administering Medication
• Diapering: Maricopa County Department of Health Sponsored Training
• Handwashing: Maricopa County Department of Health Sponsored Training
• Sanitization: Maricopa County Department of Health Sponsored Training
• Safe Sleep Practices: Maricopa County Department of Health Sponsored Training
• Responding to a Severe Allergic Reaction: Maricopa County Department of Health Sponsored Training
• Positive Behavior Support
• Introduction to Developmental Disabilities
• Developmentally Appropriate Practices
• Child Assessment, including the Ages and Stages Questionnaire and Teaching Strategies Gold Assessment tools
• National Association for Education of Young Children Accreditation Standards
• Quality First Accreditation Standards

Additional Staff training’s may include, but are not limited to:

• Infant Development
• Introduction to the Early Learning Standards: Arizona Department of Education Sponsored Training
• Introduction to the Infant and Toddler Developmental Guidelines: Arizona Department of Education Sponsored Training
• Introduction to Sensory Integration: Southwest Human Development Sponsored Training
• Partnering with Families: Southwest Human Development Sponsored Training
• Developmentally Appropriate Activities

Parents will be glad to know that all teachers are required to attend a minimum of 18 continuing education hours annually.

What does an Inclusive environment mean?

An inclusive environment is one that serves individuals of varying abilities. In the Early Learning Center children with and without special needs attend the same classrooms and successfully participate in the same activities.

What are the benefits of an inclusive environment?

Inclusive environments have many benefits for both children with and without special needs.

These benefits include: learning alongside same age peers, teaching diversity, respect and understanding for others, developing friendships, learning social skills, enjoying learning at own pace.

What Special Needs do you serve?

The Early Learning Center serves children with a wide range of abilities including children with physical disabilities and developmental disabilities. Children served through UCP’s Therapy Clinic benefit from working with physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech and language pathologist and feeding therapists that specialize in young children, providing an amazing network of support for children in the ELC. Children receiving services from Arizona Early Intervention Program (AzEIP) often receive therapy in the ELC classroom. Therapy and other support services often provided by UCP early intervention teams creating a true team approach for a child due to an already established rapport with the teachers.

The ELC is a group environment and does not provide individualized one-to- one care or specialized medical care. Our flexibility to place a child may be restricted by licensing guidelines for childcare.

How do you support children with special needs in the classroom?

Children enrolled in the program with identified special needs often receive therapies with UCP therapists. This enables the classroom teachers to work hand in hand with your child’s therapist to ensure that needs specific to your child are met in the classroom environment. This often times means that the therapists hold their sessions in the classroom, encouraging peer interaction, and coaching the teachers. The teachers become familiar with your child’s therapy equipment, and assistive devices and can assist your child in their use.

The ELC is also enrolled in the Inclusion Program through Southwest Human Development. This program provides additional support for centers in implementing an inclusive environment. Teachers receive training, coaching and assistance supporting individual children.

How do I enroll my child who has special needs?

• Contact UCP Early Learning Center at 602.943.5472 or [email protected] to discuss classroom availability and schedule a tour of the facility.
• Once you have toured the facility, the ELC will request a copy of your child’s IFSP or IEP to better understand the individual needs of your child. The director will reach out to schedule a time to meet and review goals and needs.
• Once it is determined that individual goals can be met, enrollment paperwork and fees will be collected, and a start date will be confirmed.

The Early Learning Center is licensed by the Arizona Department of Health Services Child Care Facilities.