Holidays & Closings
Child Development Center
NOW ENROLLING
Children ages 2 - 5
Free childcare, depending on income
Contact Kay Strahorn for details: kstrahorn@bidwellriverside.org or 515-244-2268
Take a Virtual Tour!
The services we offer in our Child Development Center go well beyond basic child care. Our mission statement encompasses what we, as a Child Development Center, strive to accomplish: Empowering children, regardless of income or background, to be compassionate and capable life-long learners by providing quality early education and care.
We offer full-day care for children ages 2-5 years and provide developmentally appropriate environments for each age group as we work hard to help our children successfully grow and develop.
Our Child Development Center has four classrooms: Explorers (2 years old), Little Learners (3 years old), Superheroes (3 - 4 years old), and Wise Owls (Universal Pre-Kindergarten- 4-5 years old). Each classroom has qualified early childhood educators who work hard to provide loving and engaging environments for every child. Our curriculum focuses on: literacy, language, mathematics, and social-emotional, physical, and cognitive skills.
We also provide healthy and nutritious meals for our children, including breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack according to Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) standards.
Hours: Monday through Friday 6:30 am - 5:30 pm
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Classrooms for children 2-5 years of age
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UPK Classroom for 4 year olds
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Universal Pre-Kindergarten through a Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) Community Partnership
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United Way Coalition Center
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4-star designation through the Quality Ratings System of Iowa
Payments Accepted: Private Pay, Promise Jobs, and DHS Assistance
UNITED WAY PARTNER
As a United Way of Central Iowa Partner, the children in our child development center have access to valuable onsite resources, including: dental exams and fluoride treatments, eye exams, hearing tests, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and physical therapists.
We are also part of United Way's Book Buddy program.
UPK CLASSROOM
Our oldest classroom is a UPK, or Universal Pre-Kindergarten classroom. Universal Pre-Kindergarten is a program designed to provide voluntary, universal access to high-quality preschool education programs for the state’s 4-year-olds.
We are partnered with the Des Moines Public Schools for this program, and are one of their community locations.
NUTRITIOUS MEALS
The provision of nutritious foods contributes to the wellness, healthy growth, and development of young children. Each day, our child development center provides breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack.
In addition, families may access our onsite food and clothing pantry when picking up their children. The pantry provides free groceries to take home.
