OUR PHILOSOPHY
The practices of the Air Force Child Development
Programs are based on current knowledge of child
development and early childhood education. We are
responsible for supporting the development of the whole
child, meaning all areas of development are considered
inter-related and equally important. Our program
acknowledges that children learn through active,
hands-on involvement with their environment, peers, and
caring adults. We respect each child’s unique interests,
experiences, abilities and needs, thus allowing us to be
responsive to and appropriate for each child. Children
are valued as individuals, as well as part of a group.
Likewise, our program respects and supports the ideals,
cultures, and values of families in their task of
nurturing children. We advocate for children, families,
and the early childhood professionals within our
programs.
OUR GOAL
• Foster positive identity and sense of emotional
well-being
• Enhance social skills
• Encourage children to think, reason, question children
to think, reason, question, and experiment
• Promote language and literacy development
• Build physical development and skills
• Support sound health, safety, and nutritional
practices
• Advance creative expression, representation, and
appreciation for the arts
• Appreciate and respect cultural diversity
• Develop initiative and decision-making skills
DESIRED OUTCOMES
• Children will experience growth and learning in their
social, emotional, physical, language and cognitive
development.
• Children will develop a positive sense of self as
valued members of the community
• Children will progressively gain social competence and
display pro-social behaviors by connecting with peers in
ways that build self-worth and belonging.
• Children will gain competence in problem solving
strategies, understanding of concepts and relationships,
develop logical, representational and symbolic thinking
skills and to take initiative and make relevant
decisions.
• Children will gain competence in their home language
to include ability to communicate through language, to
discriminate the sounds of language, to ask/answer
questions, to gain understanding of print and concepts,
and to make sense of printing.
• Children will display a progressively higher level of
competence in their gross and fine motor skills,
hand-eye coordination, mobility and balance.
• Children will develop creativity using art, drama, and
movement to express and develop their uniqueness.
• Families will feel supported and nurtured in their
child rearing effort
• Families will experience greater support in dealing
with the challenges of life in a military community.
• Families experiencing lengthy separations due to
deployments will be supported via formal or informal
parent/staff support groups and networks with other
community agencies
• Families will gain insight into their child’s
development through the collaborative teacher parent
partnership through relevant, intentional, systematic
observation and assessment.
