History
The Child Care and Development program came into existence at Texas Southmost College in the early 1970’s. By January 1982, the program was fully established and provided a strong foundation in Child Development and provided supervised Field Training with children from birth to school age in a developmentally appropriate lab setting. As part of an agreement with the Texas Education Agency, a campus laboratory school was built and opened in January 1982. On the 7th day of March, 1983, the Southmost Union Junior College District officially designated the name of “Raul J. Guerra Day Care Center” to the building formerly identified as Day Care Center. -Mr. Raul J. Guerra, Texas Southmost College Board of Trustees was most instrumental in the formulation of policies which resulted in the erection of the Day Care Center.
The purpose of the center is two-fold. It provides an environment to enhance each child’s development as socially, emotionally, and physically and intellectually competent individual. It also provides a setting for college students in Child Development/Early Childhood as well as related fields of study, to observe and gain practical experience in working with young children.
Philosophy
Since inception, the educational program in the center is based on sound principles of Child Development. Our goals are to give children a sense of worth by helping them develop at their own individual pace while learning basic skills. We want the children to feel confident and secure enough to explore and grow in a stimulating educational and social environment. We acknowledge and utilize the role of play in the development of children. Play allows children to be curious, creative, inventive, and imaginative in an environment that encourages emotional well-being, socialization, communication, cognitive processes, and motor skills.
We are committed to promoting and supporting all aspects of a child’s growth in an atmosphere of respect. Children participate in a variety of individual and group activities designed to:
- develop language readiness skills
- enhance physical, social, emotional, and intellectual growth and develop skills and attitudes, which will increase their ability to succeed in life
- build a sense of community for children and families, and enhance each child’s self-concept
- provide the right kind of stimulating, safe and fun environment children can progress and grow at their own pace and in a manner that will support a life-long quest for learning and growth.
The development and training of center staff is a continuous process, which includes attending workshops, listening to guest speakers and frequent discussion. The staff is encouraged to visit other programs and take additional courses related to Child Development and/or Early Childhood Education.
Daily activities are designed to provide appropriate experiences in the following early childhood development areas: Social Development, Cognitive Development, Language Skills, Physical Development, and Emotional Development. An overall curriculum is provided which is developmentally appropriate for all ages served. Written Lesson Plans outline goals and the intentional activities, experiences, and interactions that are to achieve child benchmarks as described by Texas Early Learning Guidelines for little Texans.
Accreditation
TSC Raul J. Guerra Early Childhood Center has also been recognized as a “Texas School Ready Site”. The Texas Legislature created the School Readiness Certification Program in 2005 to promote high quality early childhood education programs. This project informs parents throughout the state about quality early childhood programs…and we are one of these sites. A letter from Senator Eddie Lucio Jr. notifying the center of this designation was received on October 27, 2008.