The Wichita State Child Development Center (CDC) is dedicated to serving the needs of young children by providing a high-quality, culturally diverse early childhood program within a safe nurturing environment.
The CDC encourages the physical, social, emotional, creative and cognitive development of each child using developmentally appropriate practices and is also dedicated to serving the needs of WSU students.
The CDC provide employment opportunities as well as applied learning, life skills and educational training for students. It offers these to students to introduce them to early childhood education and related degrees. It is the philosophy of the CDC and its staff that children, their families and society benefit from high-quality early childhood programs and believe that there is a critical link between a child’s early experiences and later success in life and that one cannot separate childcare and education; children learn best through their play, interactions and experiences.
The learning environment at the CDC is structured in such a way as to give children an opportunity to independently explore, select, create and problem-solve. Classrooms are organized around interest centers and play areas that include art, math, science, language arts, blocks, dramatic play, cooking and nutrition. CDC staff plan and facilitate these experiences for the total development of children in the center. Each classroom promotes the physical, social, emotional, intellectual and creative well-being of the children.