Early Childhood Programs

Celebrating 50 years of
Excellence in Early Childhood Education!

"50 is the biggest number in the world! God is 50 years old. My Dad is 50 years old and he is so strong he can push a car."

—Kaitland, age 4

Union Church Early Childhood Program News

Week of the Young Child was celebrated with our annual Art Show April 17 through April 23.  Special thanks go to Rachel Weaver-Rivera, Jennifer Keldahl, and Yvonne Cain for the fantastic display and this year.  Also, we would like to thank the 19 Hinsdale businesses who displayed artwork in their windows.

1. Hinsdale Furriers
2. Duck, Duck, Goose
3. Hinsdale Public Library
4. Monograms & More
5. Hartleys Cycle Shop
6. Toni and Marie’s
7. Zak’s Place
8. Off the Vine
9. Hinsdale Fruit Store
10. Burhops Seafood
11. Egg Harbor Café
12. Bedside Manor
13. Kramer Foods
14. Grant Square Restaurant
15. Zingelman’s
16. Cosi Restaurant
17. Baldinelli’s Pizza
18. Fuller’s Home & Hardware
19. Hinsdale Wine Shop
20. Eyeland of St. Johns
21. A Taste of Vino

  The children and their teachers should be extremely proud of their efforts.

Teacher Appreciation Week will be celebrated May 5 through 9.  We plan to shower our amazing teachers with special treats all through the week.  Thanks to Ann Marie Daker, Tami Daker, Melanie Domke, Ingrid Ellithorpe, Carissa Kapcar, and Melissa Staab for organizing this important week.

End of the Year Celebration will be Friday, May 23 for all current and incoming ECP families.

Our History

In 1954, the Christian Family Weekday Programs were designed to foster "strong faith and religious devotion to church and family". It emphasized "the importance of such a school plan to be based on the religious philosophy of the whole church" for "these parents will radiate their experience in their homes, their church and their community".

In 2001, the name was changed to the Union Church Early Childhood Programs.  In 2003, the church underwent a major building expansion project and the ECP moved into an amazing new environment in 2004.  We now offer a variety of programs that are based on the same premise as the program in 1954. The programs are governed by the Board of Trustees, planned and administered by the Board of Christian Education and the Early Childhood Program’s Executive Committee. The programs are designed to meet the needs of children and their families, and are tailored to meet the varied developmental levels of children six weeks through 12 years of age.

Mission

The ECP and The Union Church have a shared mission.  The Guiding Principles of Union Church state that “our mission calls us to minister to the needs of the whole human family in our congregation, our community, the nation, and the world.”  This mission forms the foundation for the Union Church Early Childhood programs.  As part of Union Church, ECP helps to reach out and fulfill the church’s mission to children, to families, and to the community at large. 

At The ECP We Believe:

• To help develop a child you must focus on the whole child: intellectually, socially, emotionally, physically and spiritually.
  
  
• Learning is a process and that the teachers are both partners and facilitators of this process.
  
  
• It is important to focus on each child and their individual characteristics and goals.
  
  
• Children learn through active participation: experimenting, exploring, interacting, observing and manipulating materials in their environment.
  
  
• In a strong commitment to helping each child grow and develop a positive self-image.
  
  
• That families are essential to a successful program and that active participation should be welcomed.

Our Philosophy

The Union Church Early Childhood Programs are dedicated to the development of the whole child – intellectually, socially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. 

Our teaching principles are based on the belief that children learn best through active participation. By nature, young children are constantly in movement and need the opportunity to express their ever deepening relationship to day-to-day life through their play. We believe that through play, children learn about all aspects of the world.     

Play is defined by noted psychologist Bruno Bettelheim as any activity characterized by freedom from all but personally imposed rules, by freewheeling fantasy involvement, and by the absence of any rules outside of the activity itself.  Such imaginative play, which is an expression of the child’s inner nature, has long been recognized as being important for healthy development.  Creative play is an expression of the magical world of early childhood.

At the ECP we value families and we do not simply view our relationships as involvement.  We see our relationships as partnerships.  We communicate respect for children and their developmental rights, cultural or family backgrounds and learning styles.  Through this attitude of respect we enhance children’s feelings of self-worth, build a joy of learning and provide an atmosphere where they can develop satisfying relationships with other children, their teachers and the school community.   

Our Programs

Kid's Club (6 weeks–5 years old)

Mother/Toddler (15 months by Sept. 1)

Mother/Child (2 years old by Sept. 1)

Two’s Preschool – (2.5 by Sept. 1)

3 Year Old Preschool (3 by Sept. 1)

4 Year Old Preschool (4 by Sept. 1)

Pre-Kindergarten (5 by Dec. 1)

Out of School Time (Kindergarten through 12 years old)

"This is a flower for my Mommy."

Painting done in oil pastels and watercolors
by a 3 year old