About the Center
About the Virginia Marx Children's Center
The Virginia Marx Children’s Center at Westchester Community College provides services to children and families regardless of race, sex, handicap or national origin. For a child to be admitted to the Center parents must complete an enrollment packet.
History
The Westchester Community College Foundation’s involvement in supporting on-campus childcare began with Dr. Hankin’s vision to offer such a service at the college. Shortly after becoming president, he tasked a faculty committee with studying the feasibility of the project. However, it wasn’t until 1984, when Mrs. Virginia Marx joined the Foundation Board, that the idea began to take shape. Mrs. Marx, a well-known community leader and strong advocate for quality childcare, quickly agreed to chair the newly formed Academic Resources Committee. This committee was responsible for assessing the college’s resources and evaluating their effectiveness in meeting existing needs. Mrs. Marx directed the committee’s attention to the challenges faced by student-parents, particularly those with young children who struggled to attend classes due to a lack of childcare. She was especially attuned to the difficulties of single parents striving to achieve higher education without neglecting their children.
Virginia Marx championed the cause of quality childcare for student-parents, helping to turn the vision into reality. Her efforts were instrumental in establishing the Virginia Marx Children’s Center, which continues to serve the community by providing essential childcare services.
Information About the Virginia Marx Children’s Center
- We provide a nurturing environment that is safe and healthy
- Teachers respond to children’s individual needs: we are attuned to each child, acknowledging their uniqueness and diversity
- We offer mixed age groups
- We are open from 7 am to 6 pm, Monday to Friday
- The children are encouraged to explore the natural environment, learn about science and math, and create through music and the arts
- We partner with highly respected organizations to deliver quality enrichment programming in nature, music, dance and science.
- Parents are encouraged to take advantage of the unique experience of observing their child interacting in their very own classroom. We offer observation rooms in each wing of the Center for parents to observe ‘firsthand’ how their child is learning and interacting in the environment.
- We are a laboratory school for students in the Early Childhood curriculum, Human Services curriculum, and the Dietetic Technology curriculum at Westchester Community College
- Childcare tuition for student parents varies depending on family income, household size and age of child. Students can get an Assessment Form in the Financial Aid Office.
The Children’s Center plays a unique role at the college. We operate as a demonstration site for students in the Early Childhood curriculum, Human Services curriculum, and the Dietetic Technology curriculum. Field students take part in internships under the supervision of the lead teacher. We view the field students as an integral part of our program. As teachers, we are constantly learning and reviewing practices and ideas in the education field. Having students as part of our team enhances the work that we do.
The Virginia Marx Children’s Center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and received the highest rating from QUALITYstarsNY, NY’s Quality Rating and Improvement System with a 5 out of 5 star rating! Click here to view certificate.