Our Philosophy

These core beliefs guide our work in early childhood:

• All children are deserving of respect and a safe, nurturing environment
• Every child has the right to an exceptional education and individualized learning that meets their needs
• Children learn best through hands-on experiences and play
• Parents and grandparents are their child’s first teachers
• Partnership with families are key to a child’s success

Our Curriculum

We use the research-based, award-winning Creative Curriculum to develop important skills and knowledge through hands-on experiences. Creative Curriculum’s objectives include not only traditionally academic subjects such as skills in math, science, social studies, language and literacy, but also social & emotional well-being, and physical development.
The most important goal of early childhood is to help children become enthusiastic learners. This means encouraging children to be active and creative explorers who are not afraid to try out their ideas and to think their own thoughts. We follow their interests so they’re engaged and excited about learning, and we do it at their pace so they learn in the way that is best for them. Here they are learning how to learn, not just for preschool, but in preparation for life, and when children are independent, self-confident, and inquisitive, they can do anything.
What is Learning Through Play?

Walk into one of our Birth to Three rooms and you might see an infant waving a piece of paper with a hole in it around by the window, or a toddler pushing a car through paint on paper. What you can’t see is what’s happening in their brain. That infant is learning how light moves when it’s blocked or comes through a hole, and that toddler is learning how colors mix together and how liquids act when you run something through them. Every movement of a toy and every conversation while they’re playing pushes their understanding of how things and people work, creating new connections in the brain. Stacking blocks teaches them about gravity, geometry, and coordination. Playing house allows them to imitate, build friendships with peers, and connect ideas. You want to bake a cake? What goes in it? What equipment do you need? Our teachers facilitate this learning by modeling, creating intriguing environments to explore, providing materials for experimentation, and asking questions to stimulate thinking.

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

NAEYC strives to raise the quality of education for all children from birth through age eight. Accreditation systems are major part of NAEYC’s efforts to improve early childhood education; they allow programs to provide the best learning experiences for young children and their educators by meeting national standards of quality. Both of our centers (Marillac Social Center & St. Vincent de Paul Center) were awarded 5-year NAEYC accreditation certificates in 2015.

ExceleRate Illinois Gold Circle of Quality

ExceleRate Illinois is a statewide quality recognition and improvement system designed to make continuous quality improvement an everyday priority among early learning providers. The Gold Circle of Quality recognizes programs that meet or go beyond the highest quality goals. As a Gold Circle program, we have met the highest quality standards in three areas: learning environment and teaching quality; administrative standards; and training & education. EI also recognizes that we are actively engaged in continuous quality improvement.

Experienced teaching staff

• Highly qualified teachers with education and experience in early childhood education.
• Educators from diverse backgrounds participate in regular professional development days to stay up to date on the latest research and techniques to help close the achievement gap.

State-of-the-art facilities

Family Support Services

• Social work & family support services
• Art therapy services
• Speech therapy services provided by Northwestern University Speech and Language Clinic
• Registered nurse & consulting physician services
• Screening and referrals for Early Intervention services
• Partnership with U. Rush Medical Center, Math & Science Excellence, WestSide Collaborative, St. Anthony’s Hospital Midwifery Program & Pediatrician, DePaul Family & Community Services, Cabrini Green Tutoring Program, and Common Threads after-school cooking & cultural education program

Year-round continuity for working families

• Open year-round from 7am-6pm on weekdays.
• For older siblings, before & after school services during school year including bus transportation from select local schools and full day services when schools are not in session.

Our nutritional approach to child development

At Marillac St. Vincent, we believe that proper nutrition is critical to a child’s health and development.

Sample Lunch Menu below.