In 1968, volunteers from a local church formed one of the first early intervention programs in Los Angeles County, working with neighborhood families to maximize their young children's development and to provide support and networking opportunities. Atwater Park Center (APC) childcare quickly grew out of their efforts, renting classrooms in Atwater Baptist Church. APC has continued to rent classrooms at the church, but has never been affiliated with any religion. We are a secular, non-profit organization.

Today, over 50 years later, we have enrolled thousands of young children throughout the Los Angeles region. APC provides developmentally sensitive childcare and education for young children 2 to 5 years of age between the hours of 7am to 6pm daily. We also provide home services through Regional Centers, educational services for families, and family support programs as needed. We are a training site for several colleges whose students major in child development, early childhood education, nursing, and occupational therapy. Student trainees work side by side with our teachers and teaching assistants in the classrooms. This in-vivo laboratory for students enriches our children and our staff with new ideas, energy, and intelligence.

APC childcare will consistently provide the best possible start in life for your child. Here, children come together to learn and play in a caring, real-world environment, helping you spend your working day with peace of mind. Upon entering our doors, children will encounter highly trained teachers leading a wide variety of developmentally appropriate activities with a common goal: To lay the cornerstones of a successful life.

Nothing compares to the relationship a child has with his or her parents. We recognize that you are the expert in your child's life. When you choose group care for your child, strong bonds are made with the teachers and caregivers who are responsible to guide and nurture your child so that he or she stays emotionally safe, confident, and socially involved in the classroom's activities. When children feel secure they are more likely to explore and make connections with others. Our program nurtures each child's development in an active learning community with an atmosphere of respect and playful interaction. Teachers and children respect individual differences and create an atmosphere where each child can progress at his or her own pace in order to learn to live and work cooperatively. Our activities are creatively structured to help the ideas, interests, skills, opinions, and curiosities of your child flourish. Both planned and spontaneous activities provide each child with hands-on learning experiences and opportunities for discovery.

Research points repeatedly to the positive influence of play in a young child's life. Play encourages imagination, imitation, communication and the development of abstract thought. Because play should come from within the child and not be forced on a child, our philosophy respects a child's right to choose play themes meaningful to him or her. Children go through many stages in their young lives of creating characters to enact through play. These characters mean something important to the child and our program encourages them to express themselves while respecting the rights of others. No child is forced to play, although we actively encourage all children to get involved in active, robust play. Our curriculum is play-based with an eclectic mix of the Creative Curriculum and the Emergent Curriculum and stresses creativity, sensory and language development.