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Philosophy

The JCPS Early Childhood Program is committed to the well-being of the whole child and family. Our commitment is focused on supporting families to set goals and make progress toward self-sufficiency and developing their child’s skills to ensure school readiness.

We are a community of lifelong learners who strive to enhance the lives of children and families.

Vision

To cultivate classrooms of excellence, empower families, prepare students for kindergarten, and improve our community

Mission

The JCPS Early Childhood Program shapes the future by empowering children and families.

Commitment

The safety and well-being of all our students is job number one. JCPS is committed to strengthening positive child-adult interactions, maintaining positive classroom climate and culture, building resiliency in both adults and students, and providing behavioral health supports in order to address risk factors and eliminate incidents of child abuse and neglect in all classrooms. 

Standards of Conduct

The JCPS Early Childhood Program must ensure all staff, consultants, contractors, and volunteers abide by the program’s standards of conduct that implement positive strategies to support children’s well-being and prevent and address challenging behavior and do not maltreat or endanger the health or safety of children, including, at a minimum, that staff must not:

• Use corporal punishment.

• Use isolation to discipline a child.

• Bind or tie a child to restrict movement or tape a child’s mouth.

• Use or withhold food as a punishment or reward.

• Use toilet learning/training methods that punish, demean, or humiliate a child.

• Use any form of emotional abuse, including public or private humiliation, rejecting, terrorizing, extended ignoring, or corrupting a child.

• Physically abuse a child.

• Use any form of verbal abuse, including profane and sarcastic language, threats, or derogatory remarks about the child or child’s family.

• Use physical activity or outdoor time as a punishment or reward.

And the staff must:

• Ensure staff, consultants, contractors, and volunteers respect and promote the unique identity of each child and family and do not stereotype on any basis, including gender, race, ethnicity, culture, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or family composition.

• Require staff, consultants, contractors, and volunteers to comply with program confidentiality policies concerning personally identifiable information about children, families, and other staff members.

• Ensure no child is left alone or unsupervised by staff, consultants, contractors, or volunteers while under their care.