The Child Development Center (CDC) is committed to providing a high-quality early childhood program, offering a safe and nurturing environment while promoting the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of young children.

The CDC is a state-of-the-art daycare facility open to the community. It serves children from six weeks to five years old, with a specially designed infant, toddler, and preschool programs, until they are ready for kindergarten,

The most important goals of the CDC curriculum are for our children to become self-confident, independent, and enthusiastic learners who can work well with others. Through a multitude of activities, songs, stories, games, and loving instruction we engage our children, encouraging them to think, reason, and experiment, all while fostering a positive self-image.

The Eden Alternative® and our Intergenerational Program

Located in Parker at Stonegate assisted living residence in Highland Park, the Child Development Center embodies the Eden Philosophy, which states that the lives of senior citizens are enriched by children, animals, and plants. The children frequently visit Parker at Stonegate, Parker at River Road, and the Adult Day Center to engage in activities and projects with our residents and participants. The goals of the program include forming meaningful relationships between children and adults; providing an opportunity for multi-generational experiences that increase cooperation, interaction, and exchange between children and adults; and encouraging sharing of knowledge of the elderly with the children, thus fostering an understanding of the aging process.

By developing quality intergenerational programming, we have created an environment where generations can come together to interact with each other in a healthy and mutually pleasing way. Our approach embraces the spirit of The Eden Alternative, utilizing a series of comprehensive and compassionate activities that bring joy to program participants.

How do we enact the Eden Philosophy?

• Children enrolled in the Child Development Center at Parker visit with the residents (or "Grandmas and Grandpas") on a weekly basis.
• Older babies and toddlers go on walks throughout the week to visit. Children of this age may listen to music, hear stories, or blow bubbles with the residents.
• Nursery and preschool students visit different areas of Parker weekly. Activities include arts and crafts, singalongs, story time led by a resident (who is often a veteran teacher or librarian!), and learning activities (such as "Little Passports," in which children and "Grandmas and Grandpas" learn together about a country each month, completing art projects and learning factoids about the world around them).
• One of our most successful programs has been our unique "Book Buddies" program, in which Pre-K students are paired up bi-monthly with the same resident over the course of the year, and as a team, they read and learn to read one-on-one. The relationships built in this program have become true friendships.

"Under professional supervision, the younger and older generations learn from each other...sharing their feelings, ideas, skills, and affection. Each generation goes further than the generation preceding it because it stands on the shoulders of that generation. You will have opportunities beyond anything we've ever known.” - Ronald Reagan

To enroll or for more information, please contact Robin Kessler, Director, at (732) 565-2410 or at cdcatparker@yahoo.com. Visit the Child Development Center's website: www.CDCatParker.com.