UCCS Family Development Center - Colorado Springs, Colorado

azlapd74

My daughter has been coming here on and off for the last nine years, and it has been an absolutely wonderful experience. The teachers are very caring, and the staff communicate well. Safe facility, and lots of fun activities and trips for the kids!!

Flynn King

Awful. My daughter was being treated terribly by another child and when called on it, they cared only to deflect blame and cover their own liability. Nothing was done to address the actual problem. She has been much better since leaving.

Kat

Finding a place you can trust to watch your child is like finding a needle in a haystack. I absolutely loved this daycare & so did my daughter. My daughter attended this daycare for a year & was in both the toddler 1 & 2 classrooms. She loved going to daycare every single day. Their curriculum is top tier & they treated my child like she was their own. 10/10 recommend.

Paul Utesch

I have nothing but good things to say about the family development center. My child's teachers are very communicative, the admins are supportive and helpful, and I love that there are students working there and observing for their education plans. I get picture updates, reports of his fun days, and weekly meal menus and curriculum plans. He has been thriving in many ways with the guidance of his teachers and with the peer play. Beyond how it's benefitted my child, it has made school much easier for me. The center came highly recommended, and I would also highly recommend.

Meghan Jackson

Our three year old daughter went here for about a year. We loved the higher adult/student ratio with the college students helping in the classroom. We loved that the staff were experienced and had been with the center for a long time. We loved that the center provided multiple opportunities for parents to engage: parent/teacher conferences, open house before students transition rooms, classes to learn their approach with children, days that parents are invited to have a snack with the students. We liked the one-way mirrors so parents can watch how their child is doing without being a distraction.

Unfortunately this center ended up not being the best fit for our daughter. Our daughter thrives with one-on-one attention, which is not possible in a larger setting. She seemed to do better with some teachers over others. We tried everything they recommended, but we just could not make it work.

This center was recommended to us by a friend who had nothing but good things to say about the older preschool classroom.

Students and teachers at the university get priority for enrollment and then they let the general public fill open spots.

Elizabeth Charney

If you are a parent who values your child’s education and emotional and social development, and wants them to be somewhere they are loved and truly supported to grow and develop into the best version of themselves, then the UCCS Family Development Center is for you. This is truly a school family filled with educators who have absolutely set the bar for what early childhood education can and should look like. I can’t say enough good things about the full time teachers (shout out to Ms Candy, Ms Nicole, Ms Jayna, Ms Lisa, Ms Kim, Ms Brooke, and Ms Cora) and the university students who also assist in each classroom (creating student:teacher ratios that exceed state regulations and are far better than what you will find anywhere else), for being the best at what you do. The director and assistant director (looking at you Season and Katie!) are also phenomenal and always communicate clearly and professionally. Any concern that we had during our children’s time at the FDC was addressed with genuine care and a sense of collaboration and partnership between parents and school - the perfect strategy! My only regret is that we had to move before our children aged out of being able to go to the FDC.There are so many more wonderful things I could say, but I’ll leave it at this: the thing I miss most about Colorado is this school. Not the mountains, not the 300+ days of sunshine each year, not the doughnuts at the top of Pikes Peak. It’s THIS. SCHOOL.

Kara Beiswanger

My daughter has been in every single classroom at the Family Development Center. She started in the Toddler 1 class as a 13 month old (they don't have an infant program) just learning how to walk and is leaving an independent, caring, intelligent, well spoken, and reading 5 year old, more than ready for kindergarten. And most of the credit for this, I can confidently say, goes to the loving, professional teachers and staff at this preschool. They pride themselves on not being a "daycare" and that shows. The school family is one in which parents and teachers work together to cultivate an environment of trust, safety, and caring. Most of the teachers hold professional degrees in early childhood education and the administration supports the staff with continuing education. The school doesn't have an infant program, classrooms start at 12 months and go through to 5 year old preschool class. The teachers helped to potty train her and used a curriculum called Conscious Discipline which helped my daughter use her words and control her emotions. They also offer a summer program for 6-11 year olds that is filled with field trips and exploratory learning. My daughter can't wait to come back to this school for summer camp. This has been the best school and we hope all of her future education lives up to the first years she has had. She has a true love of learning.

Jami Fernandez

Amazing program, teachers, and staff. And great food and facilities! We've been to 4 different places between our 2 kids and this program is the best mix of play and learning and learning through play. My son loves coming to school. I love that everything is so transparent. Great security too. The kids get extra one on one attention because of the students helping. I can't say enough about how great this place is!