Child Development Center

The Miramar College Child Development Center is now enrolling.

For our waitlist/enrollment, click on Important Documents.

 

About the Center 

The San Diego Community College Districts Child Development / Early Education Centers at San Diego City, Mesa, and Miramar Colleges are integral components of the college community. The Centers operate as instructional programs for students and offer quality educational programming for infants, toddlers, and preschool children. Centers are licensed by the California Department of Social Services - Community Care Licensing, Title 22, Division 12, and meet the guidelines established by the California Department of Education - Early Education Division and the California Department of Social Services – Child Care and Development Division.

The District Educational Services Division, through the Career Education and Workforce Development Department, oversees Center compliance, districtwide procedures, and protocols.

The Centers’ teaching staff and the college faculty provide learning environments that support instructional laboratory experiences through observation, practical application, and directed guidance.

View the SDCCD Family Handbook

Mission Statement

The Child Development / Early Education Centers of the San Diego Community College District are committed to meeting the individual needs of children, their parents, and college students, preparing them to become contributing members in a diverse society.

Philosophy

The children’s program is planned and implemented to nurture each child socially, emotionally, cognitively, linguistically, and physically through integrated practices and curriculum. Children are guided through learning experiences appropriate to their individual capabilities and readiness.

The program provides children opportunities for challenge and mastery, peer interactions, individual needs, and interests. An integrated curriculum provides opportunities for exploration of the environment through language and literacy, creative activities, science, math, sensory experiences, and motor activities. The program provides active and quiet activities, child-directed and teacher-directed activities, and group and individual activities throughout each day.

Children learn best in an environment with consistent limits where they are allowed to explore and consider choices. This approach leads to self-direction, independence, and responsibility. Children are encouraged to think, reason, recall, and experiment as they work. Meeting the needs and interests of children and their families includes the sensitivity of the diverse values and cultures of individual children. Active participation from parents in the Center is encouraged.

The Centers are laboratory schools that serve as training facilities providing environments for college students to observe, interact, and implement the ideas and theories that are presented as part of the college program. Students integrate laboratory experiences and ideologies that provide understanding of children’s readiness and interaction skills. Interaction in the program and the lab provides an opportunity for parents and staff to promote integral relationships and continuity. Parents and students also have the opportunity to use lab classes as elective college courses or as part of a college child development career ladder.

Funding and Support

The Centers are funded and supported by:

  • San Diego Community College District
  • California Department of Education, Early Education Division
    • California State Preschool Program (CSPP), for children 3 or 4 years of age on or before December 1 of the program year.
  • California Department of Social Services, Child Care and Development Division
    • General Child Care and Development (CCTR) for children under 3 years of age on or before December 1 of the program year.
  • Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
  • San Diego City and Mesa College Centers are also supported by the Neighborhood House Association (NHA)
  • The San Diego County Office of Education, Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS), San Diego Quality Preschool Initiative (SDQPI)

Jet Fuel Resource Center (Basic Needs)

Basic needs are the essential resources that are necessary for our students' survival and success. The Jet Fuel Resource Center aims to support the basic needs of Miramar College students through impactful services, relevant resources, and interventions when needed. Our programs and services include one-on-one case management, the Jet Fuel Food Pantry and Really, Really FREE Farmers Market, a free clothing closet, educational workshops, and much more!

Student Support: Jet Fuel Food Pantry
The Jet Fuel Food Pantry is the heart of what we do at the Basic Needs Department. The food pantry offers a wide variety of fresh foods, shelf stable items, snacks, and frozen goods to help students maintain access to food and nutrition resources.

All students can access the pantry so long as they meet the following criteria:

Be a current SDCCD student (have a valid student ID)
Be enrolled in at least one (1) class at Miramar College (excludes CCE-Miramar) during the current semester
Have submitted a food pantry registration form (available electronically at the food pantry in K1-211) for the semester they intend to use the pantry
The Pantry Pickup

A block of free-standing lockers. The lockers have a colorful paint-splash design on the lower sections with the Miramar College logo overlaid the design. The upper portion of the lockers show the words, "The future is created by what you do today," which is a quote by Peter Drucker.
The Pantry Pickup program is available for students to access hygiene supplies and for students who are unable to access the food pantry during regular operating hours due to their class and/or work schedule or because they are unable to come to campus while the pantry is open.

Students can choose from several “pantry packs” that include pre-selected, non-perishable groceries, hygiene items, and more.

You may submit multiple request types, so long as you have not met the stated limits below.

Pantry Pack (food): available once (1) per week

Hygiene Kit: available twice (2) per semester

Period Supplies: available once (1) per month

Flight Suit Special Requests (blanket, sleeping bag, travel pillow, rain poncho, socks, winter hat & gloves): available once (1) per semester for unhoused students

Baby Care (diapers, wipes): available once (1) per month

Household Items (laundry detergent, dish soaps, & paper products): available once (1) per semester

Once your request has been approved, your pantry pack will be secured in a designated locker on campus in the atrium of S5 Science building. You can pick up your items at a time that works best for you. Items are held for one week only.

A complete description of available pantry packs and instructions for picking up your request are listed on the Pantry Pickup form.

College Lab Students in the Classroom

The Centers are lab-teaching facilities. Part of their function is to train SDCCD Child Development college students. Lab Students are supervised at all times and never left alone with children and must remain in the line of sight of a qualified teacher at all times. Some Lab Students participate weekly in the classrooms; others may come only to do a lesson plan with the children for their college course. 

Whatever level of participation, the Lab Students contribute to the overall success of the program. It is critical that all Center staff demonstrate respect, openness, and a desire to mentor each Lab Student.

 

College Student Participation in the Classroom

Lead Teachers assign Lab Students specific jobs to do with detailed explanations. This helps students know what to expect and helps to develop their confidence when working with young children. Some assigned tasks include:

  • Encouraging them to take the lead in a variety of situations
  • Explaining the importance of supporting children’s conflicts
  • Role modeling behaviors that help children in their creative activities without doing the activity for the child
  • Practicing sanitary and safety procedures by closely monitoring the implementation of lab rules

College Student Lesson Plans

Lab Students discuss their lesson plans with the Center teacher and require approval before implementation. During the implementation, Lab Students are closely supervised and evaluated by the Center teacher and/or the class faculty/instructor.

Waitlist/Enrollment

Families interested in enrolling in the Center must complete a Waitlist Application and submit to the center along with supporting documents for prioritization. Applications are placed on the Waitlist until the family is offered services for care, the family removes themselves from the Waitlist or the child turns five, whichever occurs first.  

The Waitlist is not first come, first served but is ranked according to the State Income Ranking Table. The “ranking” of families establishes the order in which children receive available spaces. For further information on prioritization, please see  page two of the Waitlist Application.  

Once a space comes available, the next prioritized family on the waitlist will be contacted for a enrollment packet and certification appointment. Childcare hours will be determined during the certification process in accordance with the families need for care. We offer both part and full time care depending on the needs of each individual family. 

For more information about the waitlist or enrollment, please call the center to schedule an appointment or complete a Waitlist Application and submit it email to miramarchilddevcenter@sdccd.edu.

USDA Non-Discrimination Statement

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA.  

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits.  Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.  Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: How to File a Complaint, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: 

  • mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights 
    1400 Independence Avenue, SW 
    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
  • fax: (202) 690-7442; or
  • email: intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.