KU Kids @ Deanwood (KUKD) by way of Kiddie University is the product of Mayor Bowser’s investment in early childhood care. The objective is to make child care more affordable to all residents in the District of Columbia and to create more high-quality infant and toddler, and pre-school spaces in the city. KUKD was chosen by the Mayor’s administration to provide affordable, high-quality infant, toddler, and pre-school care at the Deanwood Recreation Center.
Management believes that children are like sponges and the earlier they are exposed to learning and exploration, the better their development in all aspects of growth. KUKD will incorporate Spanish immersion and STEM components within the creative curriculum to provide the most well diverse curriculum and educational experiences. It focuses on research based and national standards including ITERS-R rating scale and NAEYC standards. Locally, management has engaged other current child care programs in the Capital Quality program administered by OSSE.
KUKD will adopt the view of that each classroom as a small learning community. Management believes in learning through play and use early childhood methodologies to foster learning in children. The utilization of the Creative Curriculum is an extension of KUKD’s philosophy and goals for the children. Activities with children aim to be child-directed and teacher assisted. Classrooms are set up to allow children to explore, to question, and to work independently in a group or with a teacher.
o further support children’s growth and development, the program design provides and encourages many opportunities for parent involvement. KUKD will maintain the approach of parents serving as primary teachers of their children. The goal is to form strong partnerships between teachers, children, parents, administrators, and the community.
