In response to the need for affordable, high-quality child care in Charlottesville, a group of women from the Westminster Presbyterian Church began Westminster Child Care Center (WCCC).  WCCC was established in 1972 as a private, non-profit 501c(3) child development center governed by a Board of Directors composed of parent, community, and staff members.  Although housed in Westminster Presbyterian Church (WPC), we are not affiliated with any religious denomination.

While our classrooms and clothing styles have definitely changed over the past 45 years, our mission and values remain the same today.  We are intentional about creating a diverse center that universally embraces our unique individual qualities.  We find beauty in the world around us.  We value the relationships we form with members of our local community. We understand the importance of investing in our youngest generation and do so with abundant love.  We are passionate about making WCCC a high-quality preschool where children of all backgrounds can happily learn and grow together!

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Here are some of the many intentional pieces put in place that make Westminster Child Care Center great:

• Many of our classrooms are enrolled below licensing ratios and all classrooms are given extra staff help throughout the day.  Intentionally lowered enrollment allows smaller class sizes, greater individualized care, and high-quality one-on-one or small group interactions. 
   

• We have low staff turnover.  Our teachers are committed to early education and are the essence of the WCCC family.  The majority of our teachers have been here 5-18 years, which creates consistency and deepens relationships with families over the years. 
   

• Our center is diverse!  Our tiered tuition scale allows families with different incomes to afford care.  Our intentional diverse staff incorporates their personal perspectives and cultural experiences warmly into their classroom environments.  Our location entices many international families associated with UVA which in turn increases racial and cultural diversity among our students.  
   

• The dynamic emergent curriculum at our center makes learning interesting, personal, and valuable to each child individually.  We encourage and support the learning experiences that are found in "messy" exploration and discovery.  We value children as people and encourage self-help skills, support learning responsibilities, and cherish their point of views and opinions.
   

• We find beauty in the natural world.  Children enjoy outdoor play rain or shine.  Our outdoor classroom provides an additional green learning space.
   

• We provide healthy meals daily.  Infant rooms have access to formula, baby food, and menu items.  We support breastfeeding on site. Toddler and preschool classrooms are provided a diverse breakfast, lunch, and snack menu, with daily whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables. 
   

• We are a non-profit childcare center governed by a Board of Directors.  This means that all of the tuition paid by parents goes directly back into their child's program through classroom enrichment and staff salaries and benefits.  We do not spend money on advertising and rely primarily on word of mouth.  Parents on our Board volunteer their time, knowledge, and skills each year to create exciting school-wide social events, new fundraising opportunities, sound financial decisions, better policies, and more.