Newsroom

As parents begin to return to in-person employment, the need for childcare is becoming increasingly important. The Children’s Campus Preschool and Childcare Center at Raritan Valley Community College in Branchburg offers childcare and preschool options to assist local parents and families.

Limited spaces for the public are available for this summer and next fall for infants and toddlers at The Children’s Campus.

Following health and safety guidelines from the NJ Department of Children and Families, the Center offers a playground area and classrooms featuring learning centers filled with art materials, books and blocks, as well as sensory and dramatic play—all prepared for individual and small group use to help prevent spreading COVID-19. Children socialize in small groups, wearing masks and practicing social distancing.

“Our highly experienced teachers have put so much thought into every detail of reopening during the pandemic, creating an inviting and engaging learning environment based on research in child development, as well as CDC guidelines and NJ Health and Safety Standards,” said Children’s Campus Director Cathy Griffin, MS Ed, who has more than 40 years of experience in early childhood education.

Some of the carefully organized activities include: dramatic play areas set up for two children to have their own “home” next door to a friend; block areas where two youngsters can build in neighboring construction sites; plastic bags containing each child’s own modeling clay to play with at opposite ends of a table; and baskets of crayons, markers, paper, glue and other materials for each child to use individually—not to share.

“In choosing a Center located on a college campus, I know with confidence that the curriculum is developmentally appropriate for my children’s needs. It is clear to me that my children are cultivating a love of learning at a young age. The center is diverse and celebrates the beauty each child brings to the school. The sense of community at the school is palpable. All of the staff at the Center are so nurturing, and I know my children feel so loved by their teachers when I drop them off each morning,” said Laurel Pikulin, a mother of two children enrolled at The Children’s Campus.

RVCC’s Children’s Campus offers preschool and childcare for children ages three months to five years. The Center is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 12 months a year. It is licensed by the State of New Jersey and complies with all state licensing regulations. The Children’s Campus Preschool and Childcare Center is meeting and exceeding the guidelines and policies for health and safety required by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) during the pandemic. The Center was awarded a $5,000 Health and Safety Grant by the NJ DCF to implement all of these requirements, as well as an $11,000 Stabilization Grant to cover extra staffing and learning materials required to meet these special standards.

Each classroom is staffed with a fulltime, certified early childhood or infant-toddler educator. For additional information about The Children’s Campus Preschool and Childcare Center or to schedule a tour on a weekday at 5 p.m., call 908-231-8807, email childcare@raritanval.edu, or visit www.raritanval.edu/childcare.

RVCC is located at 118 Lamington Road in Branchburg, NJ. For further information, visit www.raritanval.edu.

###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 28, 2021

Media contact: Donna Stolzer, 908-526-1200, ext. 8383

PR #87