Early Chilhood Services

Welcome to the Early Childhood Services at the Latin American Community Center, where every child's journey begins with a step toward a brighter future. Nestled at the heart of our community, we are dedicated to nurturing the growth, learning, and development of our youngest members from infancy through preschool.

Program Overview

The LACC operates 2 Early Learning Centers in Wilmington and 1 Early Learning Center in New Castle. All three centers offer high quality educational services. The program uses the research-based Teaching Strategies Creative Curriculum to support children’s growth and development. Infant and toddler classrooms are instructed entirely in Spanish, and preschool students have Spanish and English instruction. Daily schedules include free play, age appropriate academic exploration, nap, arts and crafts, and meals. LACC classrooms incorporate additional activities and curricula that help with social-emotional development.

Key Achievements

In a typical year, 90-95% of preschoolers graduating from the LACC program are meeting state of Delaware targets for kindergarten readiness.
We have found anecdotally that students who graduate our program are reading in both Spanish and English by second grade.

Demographics: In a given year typically 80-90% of students are Hispanic. However, you do not have to be Hispanic or speak Spanish to enroll your child. Many of our non-Hispanic families choose to enroll their children in our program because of the positive impact a second language has on a child’s cognitive development as well as the benefits being bilingual can have for their children later in life.

Infants (Spanish Immersion)

Infants ages 6 weeks to 15 months receive individualized daily care from highly qualified teachers in a Spanish immersion classroom. All communication with infants occurs in Spanish so babies have a strong foundation in the language from a young age. Teachers plan individualized activities to help babies move along their developmental trajectory using The Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers, and Two’s. Teachers also begin implementing our social-emotional curriculum, Conscious Discipline, to help babies learn to auto-regulate, focusing on I Love You Rituals. Our highly rated program meets babies’ needs for routine, connection, stimulation, and tranquility. The teacher:student ratio for infants is 1:4.

Toddler (Spanish Immersion)

Toddlers ages 12-35 months will explore, learn social skills, and develop strong Spanish language skills in our classrooms with highly qualified teachers. All communication in the classroom occurs in Spanish so children build a strong foundation from the start. Teachers plan daily learning experiences using The Creative Curriculum for Infants, Toddlers, and Two’s. Our philosophy is that children learn best through play. Teachers engage in play with children and plan new and exciting play experiences that focus on different developmental skills. They also plan daily activities to help children develop their social-emotional skills using our social-emotional curriculum, Conscious Discipline. In particular, teachers use Babydoll Circle Time from Conscious Discipline to strengthen children’s social connection skills. The teacher:student ratio for toddlers and two-year-olds is 1:6.

Preschool (Dual Language)

Children ages 3-5 will play, explore, and build friendships as they learn the skills they need for kindergarten. Our high quality dual-language preschool classrooms offer instruction in both English and Spanish from our highly skilled staff. Our preschool teachers hold a Bachelor’s degree in education and are experienced at assessing, planning and individualizing using The Creative Curriculum for Preschool.

Our classrooms focus on helping children develop strong social-emotional skills using the Conscious Discipline curriculum, because we know that social-emotional skills are the most important skills for success in kindergarten. Our teachers also plan experiences that help children explore a topic in-depth each 6 weeks, motivating children to ask questions and use their critical thinking skills to learn more about their topic. While studying their topic, they are also developing their language, literacy, and math skills. The teacher:student ratio for our preschool classrooms is between 1:6 and 1:8, depending on the classroom.

Families

Families of students who are enrolled in the Early Childhood Services can take advantage of the many family-oriented additional services we offer, including:

Parenting curriculum classes
Art therapy classes
On-site mental health counseling (adult, child, or family)
Lending library
Parent workshops
Parent leadership meetings
Family fun activities
Individual case management
Links to other programs offered through the LACC, including financial coaching, employment assistance, domestic violence counseling, breastfeeding support, English language classes, etc.

Locations in Wilmington and New Castle, Delaware

The Early Childhood Services is open from 6:45 am to 5:30 pm Monday-Friday.

La Fiesta I (preschool)

403 N. Van Buren St.

Wilmington DE, 10805

La Fiesta II (infants and toddlers)
402 N. Van Buren St.
Wilmington DE, 10805

La Fiesta III (6 weeks to 5 years)
239 Christiana Rd.
New Castle DE, 19720

Fees for Service

We have several different enrollment options available to families depending upon their family income.

Purshase of Care: The LACC places no limit on the number of Purchase of Care (POC) families that can enroll in programming and also offers a sliding fee scale for those who do not qualify for POC. Families with a co-pay are responsible for their monthly co-pay fee. You can apply for Purchase of Care here, or at your local DHHS Office where you applied for Medicaid or SNAP.

Private Tuition: Families who wish to pay privately can consult the table below to determine their weekly rate based on their child’s age. There is no sibling discount. Tuition is due in advance each Friday for the following week. Cash, check and credit/debit cards are accepted. Families who apply and qualify for the sliding fee scale receive either a 15%, 30%, or 45% discount off the regular weekly rate, based on their annual income.

Private pay fees without POC or sliding scale are as follows:

Infant: $324.40

1 year old: $282.00

2 to 5 years: $245.00

Early Head Start: Families who have Purchase of Care and a child between ages 0 and 2 may also qualify for the Early Head Start program based on their family income. The Early Head Start program offers classrooms with smaller group sizes and student:teacher ratios for more one-on-one time with children. It also offers additional family and health services, no co-pays for POC, and assistance with diapers and wipes. Once a child is accepted into the Early Head Start program, they remain in the program until their third birthday. Families who wish to apply should contact: Sonia Aguirre at 302-295-2781 to determine what type of documentation they will need to provide.

State Funded Early Care and Education: Eligible families can recieve 6.5 hours of fully funded childcare for children ages 0 to 5 through this program. Additional hours of care can be covered by POC. To qualify you must meet one or more or the program's eligibility requirements. Families that recieve SNAP benefits automatically quality.

Additional Eligibility Criteria

Family income is at or below the federal poverty level.
Families with children currently in foster care.
Families experiencing homelessness.
Families of children with documented delays or disabilities, including those with Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSPs) or Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

Interested in Enrolling?

If you're looking to provide your child with a strong start through our early care and education programs, we're here to help.

For more information on enrollment or to discuss your eligibility, please reach out to

Wilmington Learning Centers: Jessica Benitez, Email: Jbenitez@thelatincenter.org / Phone: 302-295-2166
New Castle Learning Center: Maria Cordova, Email: Mcordova@thelatincenter.org / Phone: 302-442-7705

We're committed to supporting your child's early learning journey and look forward to welcoming your family to our program.

To register for our Infant, Toddler, and Preschooler program, you can either download the registration package from our website for a quick start, or fill out the interest form to get in touch with us for any questions. We're here to help make the process smooth for you.