Welcome to an example of a
pre-kindergarten collaborative at work in a coastal community in Maine!


Phippsburg, Maine
Phippsburg Elementary School
Union 47

             The C.H.O.I.C.E.S Program:

Our mission is to provide all Phippsburg families
with four year old children access to quality, developmentally appropriate preschool programs.


Children
Having
Opportunities
In
Collaborative
Early
Settings

Enrolling in CHOICES allows you to choose from three quality preschool programs for your 4 year old child.

Family Focus - Bath Center (part and full day programs)
2 Davenport Circle
Bath, Maine  04530
(207) 386-1662

Bath Head Start (part and full day programs to income eligible families)
CED
Wing Farm Parkway
Bath, Maine  04530
(207) 443-

Bath Area Family YMCA (part and full day programs)
303 Centre Street
Bath, Maine  04530
(207) 443-4112
www.bathymca.org

 (Needs to be 4 by October 15, 2008). These preschool programs will be offered to Phippsburg’s 4 year olds at no cost.

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More Details:

C.H.O.I.C.E.S. (Children Having Opportunities in Collaborative Settings)

Three providers of quality programming met three standards:
1) Meet Department of Education Certification
2) Use The Creative Curriculum for Preschool
3) Are NAEYC/NAFCC Accredited

The program is offered to all Phippsburg families! They are given information on three possibilities of care to meet their needs. Families could then visit and learn about each program and decide where they would like to send their child!

If the families needed transportation, Phippsburg School is able to provide that service.

This began as a vision: to provide all families in Phippsburg an opportunity to send their four year old to a developmentally appropriate preschool setting.

Reflecting on the research which shows the importance of quality early experiences and the impact on children's educational careers, school staff began the work of learning more about the process of initiating a pre-k program in Maine. With the superintendent's help and support, teachers, special education therapists, child care directors, a home provider, Head Start staff, and a Department of Education Educator all met to share ideas. From that meeting, ideas were offered, current child care options were shared and the process of beginning the work to create this collaborative began. In the fall of 2006, Phippsburg families were introduced to a new and family-friendly model of care. Our goal is to continue this program and expand to other communities.