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Lincoln Child Care

The Southeast Community College Child Development Center’s mission is to provide quality early childhood education and care to children from 6 weeks through 5 years by meeting the needs of SCC students, faculty, staff, and the community. The Center serves as a practicum site for the Early Childhood Education program ensuring the most current, and evidence based, practices are modeled for professionals entering the early childhood education field. An emphasis is placed on creating an educational and supportive community for children and families to thrive.

The Center is nationally accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The Center also participates in Nebraska Step Up to Quality, a quality rating and improvement system administered by the Nebraska Department of Education.

The Center is located on the Lincoln Campus at 8800 O St., Lincoln, serving SCC students, faculty, staff and community members. The Center is open Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and is closed for most major holidays, as well as one week during Winter Break. The program serves children ages 6 weeks through 5 years in a year-round program. To inquire about openings, please contact us at 402-437-2450. 

The Center participates in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP ) through the U.S. Department of Agriculture, ensuring that well-balanced meals are served and that good eating habits are taught in the program setting. Children are served breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack daily that meet the nutritional requirements that are determined by the CACFP.

The Center values the importance of positive developmental opportunities and relationships in the formative early childhood years as establishing a child’s long-term success. Evidence-based play practices and educational experiences are emphasized with attention to developing children’s physical, cognitive, social and emotional, and linguistic development, as well as approaches to learning and problem-solving skills. The teacher’s role in the classroom includes nurturing, guiding, and facilitating experiences with the children through education and care. Planning and implementing learning experiences that are responsive to each child's interests, strengths, and needs is key at the SCC Child Development Center.

  • We believe a child’s environment has the greatest influence on learning.
  • We believe in providing children with an overabundance of positive reinforcement.
  • We believe it is imperative to instill good educational and moral foundations for young children, enabling them to grow and develop into the best, most productive individuals possible.
  • We believe diversity in our program is one of our greatest strengths, as the best way to learn and develop is from experiencing life hands on with each other.
  • We believe our teachers enhance development and learning. From birth, a child’s relationships and interactions with adults are critical determinants of development and learning.
  • We believe in treating children as individuals, allowing them to develop an identity inclusive of emotional well-being, individualism and self-worth.
  • We believe in cognitive development: intentional learning environments, age appropriate classrooms, hands on learning, sensory development, experiences and learning from the world, development of learning styles and Kindergarten readiness.
  • We believe in physical development: healthy living, development of gross and fine motor skills and safety.
  • We believe a collaborative community with our families is an integral piece of a child’s success

Enrolling

Interested families may submit a Waiting List Application along with a $10 non-refundable fee to be placed on the SCC Child Development Center’s wait list. When an opening is available, the Director of the Center will contact the family. To accept and secure the opening a $135 refundable deposit is due ($75 deposit for subsequent children.). Next steps will include the receipt of the family handbook, child enrollment packet, along with providing the Center with a copy of the child’s immunizations.

Enrollment Period

  • Children of SCC students: Required to be enrolled for the entire semester. They are not required, but can opt, to be enrolled during break periods.
  • Children of SCC faculty and staff: Required to be enrolled yearly. They are not required to be enrolled during the 4-week break between the Spring and Summer Quarter. The children must be enrolled for all other weeks the Center is open.
  • Children of community members: Required to enroll yearly for the entire 50 weeks the Center is open.

Children can be unenrolled with a two-week written notice. If you want to re-enroll at the Center you will be required to go on the waiting list.

Tuition Payments & Financial Assistance

Tuition may be paid weekly or monthly through a bank or credit/debit card automatic withdrawal, or Title XX (State subsidized child care assistance). Applications for Title XX may be submitted to the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.

Please contact the SCC Child Development Center for tuition rates