St. Nicholas Early Learning, Inc. provides high quality programs with educational components for all our young children starting from birth.

Recent research on brain development now provides scientific evidence to the critical importance of early childhood education for infants and toddlers. Researchers at the Infant Brain Research Institute at Arizona State University have found that only 25% of the human brain is wired at birth, only 75% wired at year one, and 90% by year three. Indeed upon birth the brain is a developed organ with the building blocks called neurons, but they are not yet fully wired. So literally a child’s early environment and experiences are forming the brain for future decision making and learning.

The quality of our childcare program is developed and evaluated according to the National Association for the Education of Young Children guidelines, Indiana Paths to Quality program, the Indiana Voluntary Certification Program, and Child Care Development Fund (CCDF) regulations. Our quality program meets the low child-adult ratios (example four infants to one adult), minimum space requirement of 35 square feet per child, trained staff, curriculum guides for every age, safe sleeping for infants, family education and involvement, and a healthy food program, etc. As stated in these documents a high quality childcare program provides an environment for infants and toddlers where they are safe, well supervised, nurtured, nourished, and stimulated with language, sights, sounds, and engaging learning experiences.

In addition, to ensuring low child to staff ratios and safe environment, St. Nicholas Early Learning, Inc. is committed to ensuring that, at minimum, 50% of the staff have a Child Development Certificate or higher education degree and that ongoing training for staff and volunteers will ensure that best childcare practices are in place.