Otter Creek Child Center

About Us

Otter Creek Child Center is a full day, year round, non-profit early care and education center located in Middlebury, Vermont. We welcome approximately 46 children, ages six weeks to five years, and their families. Founded in 1984, Otter Creek Child Center is the only area early care and education center offering continuity of care from infancy to kindergarten. Otter Creek Child Center is committed to providing inclusive, high quality learning experiences that build relationships between each other and the natural world.

Learning opportunities, at Otter Creek, are inspired by children's curiosities and are designed to enhance their imagination and creativity. Program goals and curriculum promote the emotional, social, cognitive, language and physical development of each child and are linked to authentic assessments, encouraging each child to achieve to their maximum individual potential. Teachers observe, document and interpret children's thinking and learning in order to create supportive learning environments. They help children:

* explore and discover
* organize and interpret information
* ask questions and build answers
* propose ideas and strategies
* make choices and negotiate decisions
* develop and test hypotheses

Otter Creek Child Center embraces our connections with the natural world and the local community. The town of Middlebury is a vital resource that provides opportunities for exploration and study. Visiting the farmer's market, the gym, the library, the river and the campus of Middlebury College allow us to explore the community and deepen our experiences. Children develop an understanding of their place in the community and a connection to the greater society. These opportunities encourage children's strong sense of self, an enthusiasm for learning, an ability to think independently and creatively, and confidence to explore the world around them.

Otter Creek Child Center is NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) accredited and has been awarded 5 STARS by Vermont's quality recognition system.