CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS, INC.

Early Head Start is a federally funded program that serves infants, toddlers and their families. CDC offers an array of services such as nutritional meals, diapers and supplies, home visits and access to health care services.

This program at CDC's Oil City, Franklin and Cranberry centers is for infants and toddlers up to their third birthday and for expectant mothers and their families. The weekday program provides full-day, year-round child care and early childhood education, a nutritious breakfast, lunch and snack for the children, periodic home visits and access to high-quality health care services, plus services for expectant moms before and after they give birth.
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Early Head Start is intended to promote early childhood development, to engage parents in their roles as teachers as well as caregivers and to help families move toward self-sufficiency. Another purpose is to provide a strong foundation of early learning that allows children to make a successful transition to preschool and kindergarten.
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Grant funding covers most costs of the Early Head Start program for working, income-eligible families. To qualify for Early Head Start, a family’s income must be at or below the federal poverty level, which currently is $26,200 for a family of four.
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CDC now offers this federally funded program in 12 of its centers across Venango, Crawford and Erie counties. In addition to preparing children for kindergarten, CDC provides transportation to and from our centers.

Head Start is the federal government’s preschool program for 3-, 4- and 5-year-old children from low-income households. Head Start at CDC is a full-day, 9-month program that is intended to prepare children for a successful transition to kindergarten and elementary school.

All of the Head Start classes utilize Creative Curriculum that contains early learning objectives that are subdivided into 10 categories including sense of self, responsibility for self and others, pro-social behavior, large motor skills, small motor skills, learning and problem-solving, mathematics, representation and symbolic thinking, listening and speaking and reading and writing.

The curriculum balances student-led questions with teacher-led questions, investigations and explorations. During a Study, the classroom is transformed into a learning community which generates questions and helps children find way to explore those questions.
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In addition to early childhood education, Head Start offers a number of other services that supports the children’s health, development and family well-being.
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A family’s income must be at or below the federal poverty level – currently $26,200 for a family of four – for children to enroll in Head Start. The program is free to income-eligible households.
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Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts is a state-funded pre-kindergarten learning program that we offer at our Cranberry, Franklin School-Age, Hasson Heights and Willow centers. This full-day, 9-month program for 3-, 4- and 5-year-old boys and girls is intended to give them an early educational boost that will help them to make a successful transition to kindergarten and beyond and to do better in school.
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Each of the Pre-K Counts classes utilize Creative Curriculum that contains early learning objectives that are subdivided into 10 categories including sense of self, responsibility for self and others, pro-social behavior, large motor skills, small motor skills, learning and problem-solving, mathematics, representation and symbolic thinking, listening and speaking and reading and writing.

The curriculum balances student-led questions with teacher-led questions, investigations and explorations. During a Study, the classroom is transformed into a learning community which generates questions and helps children find way to explore those questions.
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Grant funding covers all costs of Pre-K Counts and is primarily for low-income households.

CDC also offers a preschool program for 3-, 4- and 5-year-old boys and girls that is identical to Pre-K Counts but has no income eligibility guidelines.

This full-day, 9-month program for 3-, 4- and 5-year-old boys and girls is intended to give them an early educational boost that will help them to make a successful transition to kindergarten and beyond and to do better in school.
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Like Pre-K Counts and Head Start, CDC's Preschool classes utilize Creative Curriculum that contains early learning objectives that are subdivided into 10 categories including sense of self, responsibility for self and others, pro-social behavior, large motor skills, small motor skills, learning and problem-solving, mathematics, representation and symbolic thinking, listening and speaking and reading and writing.

The curriculum balances student-led questions with teacher-led questions, investigations and explorations. During a Study, the classroom is transformed into a learning community which generates questions and helps children find way to explore those questions.
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CDC provides before school care, after school care or both to children in kindergarten through sixth grade. The school-age program offers a safe, comfortable and educational environment that blends play and learning.

CDC balances education and fun with interesting science experiments, math challenges, art creations and other fun activities. From Lego STEM Robots to puzzles to dress-up to Magna Tiles, kids can choose from a wide variety of stimulating and engaging activities during free play time. We also offer homework help, a nutritious snack and physical activities.

ELRC helps families who are income-eligible to find affordable child care services so they can attend work or school.
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For more information about ELRC, please contact Pam Sampsell at (814) 518-5226 or [email protected]

Camp Funshine is CDC's all day, 11-week summer program that is intended to provide a safe, fun and educational experience for elementary school-age children. CDC offers Camp Funshine at its Franklin School-Age, Hasson Heights and Cranberry centers.

At Camp Funshine, children engage in math, science and literacy games and activities, experience the arts, go swimming, compete in Camp Olympics, showcase their skills in a talent show and much more! We also go on numerous field trips to Two Mile Run Park, Morrison Park and other local destinations.

Enroll your child for Camp Funshine, find out about enrollment/field trip fees or learn more by calling CDC at (814) 670-0838. Financial assistance for income-eligible families may be available through the Early Learning Resource Center (ELRC) at (814) 518-5226.

Outer Limits is a free program for children ages 8-17 in Venango County that gives them the opportunity to participate in skill building activities.

Children may choose from a variety of extracurricular activities that community organizations or local school districts offer in Venango County. Over the past few years, Outer Limits has sponsored the following activities: piano, horseback riding, football, soccer, swimming, art, wrestling, basketball, baseball, cheerleading, and more.

Children who are eligible for Outer Limits include the following:

• Children who are being raised by a single parent, foster family or other relative
• Boys and girls whose families receive food stamps, cash assistance or SSI
• Students who are experiencing academic or social difficulties in school
• Children who have disabilities or who reside with a parent who is disabled
• Young persons who attend school at home
• Boys and girls whose families are experiencing a lack of employment
• Those whose families have exceptionally low income
• Children from families in which other disadvantages exist.

To learn more, please contact Tammy Snyder at (814) 670-0838 or email at [email protected]