Early Learning Center

Driving into the campus of Fairfield University, one may be surprised to see young children at play outside. However, if you enter the campus by the Dolan School of Business, you may see just that.

Since its opening in September 2008, The Fairfield University Early Learning Center has provided members of the University faculty and staff with an on-campus childcare facility and preschool.’

The Center, which is run by Carousal Educational Services in Norwalk, currently enrolls 23 children in its day care and preschool programs. These children, who range in age from six weeks to 5 years old, participating in the program are primarily the children of University employees, but parents from outside the campus community enroll their children in The Center as well.

Children are divided up into preschool or childcare depending on their age, and assisted by the five teachers employed at the Early Learning Center.

Throughout the day, preschoolers have their choice of many areas set up to play in. These areas include a block area, finger paint area, play-dough area and sensory area where children can play with water as well as snow during the snowy winter months. They are also provided with a morning and afternoon snack, but parents must provide lunches for their children.

In addition to their ‘open-play,’ the preschoolers have many different opportunities to go on field trips.

This past fall, teachers took the children pumpkin picking at Sherwood Farms.
‘ In the fall they also were visited by the Fairfield Fire Department, who allowed the children to see a real fire truck as well as spray the fire hose.

‘That was phenomenal,’ said Tara Abate, the administrator of the program.
In the coming months the preschoolers will be visited by a dentist for Dental Month, a program of which which Abate expressed her excitement.

Although the Learning Center is right on the Fairfield campus, Fairfield University students are not allowed to work or volunteer there due to insurance reasons. ‘ ‘ ‘

The Early Learning Center is off to a good start, enrollment continues to grow each month, and it is licensed for 36 children maximum, meaning that there is plenty of room for more children who can benefit from the program.