Willow House began operation in 1987 as a 24 hour childcare center for Mansfield Training School employees. As the training school dissolved, Willow House remained open for the community. In 1996, we expanded our infant program to serve the needs of more children under the age of two. We placed these children into programs based upon the child's developmental needs. In 1998, we increased our preschool program to twelve children with a teacher to child ratio of 1:6 (as compared to the state maximum of 1:10). In 1999, we became a participant in the Mansfield School Readiness Program, now known as the Mansfield Advocates for Children Program (click on Community to learn more about the programs we participate in). In the fall of 1999, we began providing wrap around care for kindergarten children. In the summer of 2000, we began offering a summer camp program for children between the ages of 5-12. The latest chapter in our history came about in February of 2001. After voluntarily undergoing a comprehensive process of internal self-study and inviting external professional review to verify compliance with the Criteria for High Quality Early Childhood programs, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) has accredited Willow House!!!! This accreditation is a very proud achievement for the teachers and parents of Willow House. We have worked hard to earn our accreditation and it is an outward sign of the high quality program we have endured since our inception. (If you'd like to learn more about NAEYC accreditation, visit their Web site at www.naeyc.org) We continue to add chapters to our Willow House History and hope that your family will be part of it. You are welcome to visit us or call us for more information on how we can work together to make your child's childhood a journey... not a race! |
Willow House Preschool & Early Learning Center |
Our History |
