Continuity of Care vs. Traditional Classrooms

Corning Children’s Center was the first child care center in the area to offer continuity of care as an option for families. Continuity of care enables children to stay with the same classmates and primary caregivers year after year, from the time they enter the Center through Preschool. Many parents find that this consistency over time gives their children a sense of comfort and stability as they form bonds with friends and caregivers who become like an extension of their family.

For their final Pre-Kindergarten (Pre-K) year, children move to a new classroom and learn how to make new friends within the context of a safe, familiar environment. This process helps children to transition successfully to Kindergarten. Our continuity of care option was developed in response to the increasing body of research demonstrating the many positive results of firm, sustained attachments in a child’s early years.

Recognizing that continuity of care is not the preferred choice for all families and staff, we also offer a more traditional approach, in which children move to new classrooms as they reach milestone birthdays at 18 months and 3 years of age. Some families believe that making such transitions a part of their children’s lives early on helps to prepare them for the changes they will encounter when they enter school.

Both approaches are valid and present their own benefits for children. At Corning Children’s Center, we are happy to be able to offer families a choice.