Locations
Locations
City Center
Early Connections at City Center, our largest site, provides care to over 100 children from infancy to elementary school. Active from early morning through the evening hours, the center offers both a first and second shift program, and a Before and After school program.
Since Early Connections is guided by the principle of providing access to quality education for all families and children, the center offers several inclusive classrooms for 3 & 4 year olds in collaboration with the Achievement Center and Sarah Reed Children’s Center. The classrooms are available to children with or without disabilities and helps to foster and appreciation for each person’s unique qualities and abilities. We are proud to have a licensed Kindermusik educator that teaches several preschool classes and a 2-year old class. Kindermusik is a family based program that brings music into children’s lives through social, physical and cognitive skills. Since parent involvement and support is much appreciated at the center, several family events are held throughout the year to recognize and thank parents for this support. These events include a holiday sing-a-long and a summer picnic at the zoo. One favorite event is the Thanksgiving luncheon where for the past several years, families and staff are invited to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal, as well as a performance by the preschool.
Being an urban center in the midst of downtown Erie offers the children with opportunities to participate in educational programs and the arts. Over the past year the children participated in programs and special events at the Art Museum, North Coast Dance Studio and the Children Museum.
John E. Horan Garden Apartments
For 12 years, Early Connections has been a part of the John E. Horan Garden Apartments. In a community where parents are often facing frequent changes in their personal and professional lives, the staff of Early Connections has offered stable source of support for children and their parents. Parents and children know when they “come to school” that a consistent staff will be here for them each day to help and guide the children while partnering with the parents. The partnership between the Housing Authority and the John E. Horan site brings about unique opportunities for our children. Children are able to attend a weekly story hour at the neighborhood branch of the library just a block away.
Union City
The Union City Children’s Center has grown tremendously in the past several years. The community has warmly received the center. Nearly 50 children are enrolled in the center and support is offered to all of these families. Since this is a smaller center, individualized care and attention is given to parents and their specific needs. Parents are always welcomed and enjoy volunteering to assist on special field trips. They also attend the special family activities such as Mothers Day/Fathers Day Breakfasts, Autumn Fest, Summer Carnival, Open House, Winter Wonderland Party, to name a few. In addition to taking advantage of the local community activities and events, the center provides excursions to the city of Erie for cultural activities, the baseball games and beaches, picnic facilities and playgrounds at Presque Isle. Also, children who are enrolled in the John E. Horan Garden Apartments and the City Center benefit from being able to visit Union City’s rural area and see farms, as well as participate in our Carnival.
Early Learning Center
Early Connections’ Early Learning Center located at 420 West Sixth Street in Erie, provides a preschool program for children ages 3 – 5 years Monday through Friday throughout the school year. The program offers partial and full scholarships to children from eligible families and includes meals and transportation, which is supported by the Erie School District and the PA Tax Credit Program
In addition, an inclusion environment is created through our long term partnership with The Achievement Center and Northwest Tri-County Intermediate Unit’s Early Intervention. The center focuses on the development of the whole child through its lesson plans and offers morning and afternoon sessions. Twice a year, assessment of emotional, cognitive and physical growth is done and shared at parent conferences,