Our Mission

Dover Children’s Center is committed to providing affordable, high quality childcare to all children. Priority in placement is given to children and families with financial, social, behavioral or developmental needs. It is the philosophy of the Center that early childhood should be a time of fun, warmth, security, exploration and discovery.

Our Pre-school programs focus on the five steps of Child Development.

The primary focus at this age level is: Social and Emotional Development – In these areas we work on sharing, taking turns, cooperation, team-work, and feelings.

Physical Development – In this area we work with the fine and gross motor skills. Fine motor skills are developed by offering the children activities in cutting with scissors, doing puzzles, lacing cards, stringing beads, creating with play dough, to name just a few things. These are all ways to strengthen small muscles in their hands that are needed for holding and writing with a pencil.

Cognitive Development – We play a variety of hands-on games to expose children to visual recognition of letters, numbers, shapes, and colors. We include music and story circles, a science and math curriculum that includes cooking projects and field trips, and stress self-help skills, holding and writing with a pencil. Gross motor skills or large muscle development is worked on through the use of exercise mats, dancing, outdoor play, etc.

Creative and Imaginative Development – The staff encourages the children to tell stories, share special moments and adventures with the rest of the group, as well as take part in all of our learning centers; arts and crafts, dramatic play, puppets, paints, water and sand play.

Our caring staff plans and develops each child’s program and evaluates their progress on a continuing basis to ensure that they are working at their appropriate level.

Kindergarten Program – The purpose of our Kindergarten program is to initiate and foster a love for learning that will be life-long. The curriculum is designed to be developmentally appropriate in order that each child will achieve success at his/her own pace. This can be achieved in an environment that encourages and offers direction in the development of creativity, natural curiosity, a positive self-image, self-control, and cultural awareness. The atmosphere should allow for the individual child’s Social, Emotional, Physical, Verbal, Aesthetic, and Intellectual growth.

Learning will take place through a variety of methods, including socio-dramatic play, hands-on experiences, and the use of learning centers in large group, small group, and individual instruction. The emphasis is on learning experiences that are process-oriented, not product-oriented, and initiated by both the child and teacher.

Dover Children’s Center

Dover Children’s Center provides high quality, nurturing childcare and early education to children ages 6 weeks – 12 years. Monday – Friday, 6:30 A.M. – 6:00 P.M.

Infants, Toddlers, Preschool, Kindergarten and Before and After School Care is offered. A developmentally appropriate curriculum is taught by Early Childhood Professionals. The Center welcomes children and families of all abilities and may make modifications to the program, when appropriate, to accommodate all children.

Included in the programs are breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack.

Tuition is on a sliding scale based upon family size and income. Dover Children’s Center is the only private, non-profit childcare center in the City of Dover. We are a member agency of the United Way of the Greater Seacoast.

Dover Children’s Center announces the sponsorship of the U.S. Department of Agriculture funded Child and Adult Care Food Program. The same meals will be available at no separate charge to enrolled children at the center, and will be provided without regard to race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability.

Any person who believes that he or she has been discriminated against should write immediately to: Administration, Food and Nutrition Service, USDA, 3103 Park Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22302.

Dover Children’s Center
43 Back River Road
Dover, NH 03820
603-742-7637

Dover Children’s Center
At McConnell
32 St. Thomas St.
Dover, NH 03820
603-742-3332

Fax: 603-749-4826

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