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About TCC


Mission

The mission of Total Child Preschool & Childcare Center is to provide quality, affordable early childhood education in an environment that reflects a commitment to embrace and respect economic, cultural, and religious diversity as a positive value to be nurtured in our children, our community, and the world. The goal of the program is to provide a nurturing, inclusive environment where the staff and board of the center can work with parents to affirm and encourage children as they develop physically, socially, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually.

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Philosophy

At Total Child Preschool & Childcare Center our educational program reflects a number of core beliefs. We believe that:

  • Children should be encouraged to explore, problem-solve, to create, and to develop at their own rate.
  • Children have different strengths, talents and interests at each stage of development.
  • In order to learn, children must be presented with concepts in a manner consistent with their unique learning style and their view of the world at the time.
  • Children's self-esteem is developed through authentic accomplishment and thrives in an environment that fosters trusting, nurturing, supportive relationships.

In addition, we strive to create an alliance between our families and the center in order to foster a consistent environment for children, in order to develop a sense of community.

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Accredited by National Association for the Education of Young Children

Total Child Preschool & Childcare Center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). NAEYC is the largest organization of early childhood educators and administers the most widely recognized national accreditation system for early childhood schools and child care centers. To earn accreditation, Total Child voluntarily underwent an extensive process of self-study and external professional review. Deemed a high-quality early childhood program by NAEYC, Total Child undergoes review for re-accreditation every five years.

According to NAEYC high-quality early childhood programs "provide a safe and nurturing environment while promoting the physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development of young children."*

In NAEYC accredited programs you will see:*

  • Frequent, positive, warm interactionsamong teachers and children
  • Planned learning activities appropriate to children's age and development, such as block building, painting, reading stories, dress-up, and active outdoor play
  • Specially trained teachers and directors
  • Ongoing professional development
  • Enough adults to respond to individual children
  • Many varied age-appropriate materials
  • Respect for cultural diversity
  • A healthy and safe environment for adults and children
  • Inclusive environments
  • Nutritious meals and/or snacks
  • Regular, two-way communication with parents who are welcome visitors at all times
  • Effective administration
  • Ongoing, systematic evaluation

* From National Association for the Education of Young Children: www.naeyc.org

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First United Methodist Church of Evanston

Total Child Preschool & Childcare Center is a program of First United Methodist Church of Evanston. The church's support of TC evolves out of a theological commitment to diversity and a belief that high quality, affordable, early childhood education is vital to our community. In support of this commitment, First Church provides TC with its facilities at no cost. However, the financial operations of the program are independent of and separate from those of First Church. The TC Board is responsible for establishing and monitoring its annual operating budget, as well as creating the content of its own program and policies. Total Child is a nonsectarian school, which embraces and respects economic, cultural, and religious diversity.

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Board of Directors

Total Child Preschool & Childcare Center is governed by a Board of Directors which is comprised of parent and church representatives. The Board sets policy, plans parent education programs, administers scholarship funds, promotes TC to the community, oversees fundraising, coordinates events for the TC community and acts as a liaison between the church and the Center. TC parents or guardians who are interested in serving on the Board may contact Susan Ruhl, TC Director.

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Teaching Staff

Our staff is talented, caring and dedicated. They are selected on the basis of positive and effective personal characteristics, relevant academic background, teaching experience, and demonstrated commitment to working with young children and their families. In our classrooms, the role of the teacher is to guide, to encourage, to model behavior, and to strive to help children grow in all areas of development by providing the richest possible educational environment. Throughout the school year our teachers undergo continual education and training through annual conferences and inservice workshops.

Susan Ruhl, Total Child Director

Susan holds a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of IL, Chicago, along with a BA in Psychology from Northwestern University.  Susan has worked in various early childhood settings for over 25 years before joining Total Child. Other settings include a parent coop, a North Shore preschool, and a program in a Chicago Housing project.  Susan plays an active role in the Evanston Early Childhood community by being a member of the Evanston Early Childhood Director’s Council and the Evanston Early Childhood Collaboration which has brought the state Preschool for All program to Total Child.  “The best part of Total Child is the sense of community within each classroom which also finds its way through the entire program. The diverse community of families, children and staff at Total Child truly reflects a wonderful mix of culture, race, beliefs and socioeconomic standing which reflect the real world that children will be active members of as they grow”.

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Facilities

TC is located on the second floor of the First United Methodist Church of Evanston at 516 Church Street. Our facilities include:

  • Five spacious classrooms: each equipped with sensory materials, various types of blocks, a cozy reading/quiet corner with well-stocked book shelves, dramatic play space, open art and projects area and a variety of table toys and manipulatives.
  • An indoor gym, (known as the "motor room"), with a padded mat-covered floor and two jungle gyms, climbing bars, slides, tunnel, bridge, tricycles and other play vehicles, balls, etc.
  • A large, private, renovated, fenced playground just off the south side of the building.
  • A library with an extensive collection of books, puzzles, toys and other materials which are
    available for teachers to use in their classrooms.

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Individual Tours

Parents and guardians are welcome to contact TC at 847.864.7100 to arrange a tour and/or meeting with TC's Director.

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