Lehigh Valley Children's Centers

Established in 1970, lvcc provides comprehensive early childhood education and child care services throughout pa's Lehigh and northampton counties. Approximately 1,350 children, ages six weeks through 12 years, attended our 32 locations in this fiscal year. Lvcc programs focus on developmentally appropriate early education and care, promoting social-emotional, cognitive, physical, and language development. Lvcc is committed to continuous improvement through participation in the pa keystone stars, quality initiative and national association of the education of young children (naeyc) accreditation. Lvcc operated 12 full-service Centers and 18 before-and-after school programs in elementary schools, and a high school center for children of parenting teens. Lvcc welcomes all children and families.

Lvcc is a sponsor/monitor of the child and adult care food program (cacfp) from birth through age 12. Cacfp ensures that children receive nutritious, well-balanced meals and snacks while in child care settings and reimburses participating child care providers a portion of the cost of meals served to enrolled children. Cacfp is administered at the federal level of the u.s dept. Of agriculture (usda) and at the state level of the pde, division of food and nutrition. Lvcc's cacfp staff members make at least three monitoring visits per year to around 245 family and group child care homes in 15 pa counties. Our staff presents annual training sessions in english and spanish covering topics in health, nutrition, and menu planning. Participating providers submit attendance records and monthly meal counts to lvcc.

Lvcc had 27 classrooms under the lvcc grant of 463 slots. 37 children were cared for at easton asd, 53 children at wilson asd, 30 children at palmerton asd, and 64 children at panther Valley asd. Established in 2007 by the pde, the pre-k counts program increases access to quality pre-kindergarten for children deemed at-risk for future academic failure for reasons of family poverty, special needs, english language leaner status, or other risk factors. Pre-k counts is offered at no charge to eligible families. Each pre-k counts classroom is lead by a pa-certified teacher and provides a minimum of 180 days of instruction per year. Lvcc strives to ensure that all children who participate in pre-k counts enter kindergarten with strong foundational skills ready to continue their learning success. Pre-k counts is supported by a grant from the education office of child development and early learning. (ocdel).