GraceKids CDC

GraceKids serves children and their families from 7:30 am to 5:30 pm. Our meals and snacks are prepared fresh onsite, and include breakfast, two snacks and lunch. We limit the preservatives in our little ones’ food, and provide fresh fruit and vegetable options daily. Most importantly, GraceKids is designed to providing the loving and nurturing environment that parents desire, an environment that provides comfort to working parents as their children are being loved and nurtured by adults who are equipped with a strong Christian faith, and a caring heart.


Here, you'll find the registration form for our 2023-24 School Year

CLICK TO DOWNLOAD THE REGISTRATION FORM


Contact: (205) 639-1388 or director@gracekidscdc.org

Goals, Model, and Methods

Here at GraceKids, our goal is to offer the opportunity for your child to grow in independence and develop physically, intellectually, socially/emotionally, and spiritually. We believe that children should be allowed to develop at their own pace and to learn in ways that help them become confident in themselves as learners. We provide our children with a clean, safe, comfortable nurturing environment where they can develop to their full potential. As a Reggio-inspired school, we will work to teach our children to develop respect for the natural environment, to grow in the ability to relate to other individuals peacefully, and to enjoy and appreciate the riches of diversity of people in our world. 


We teach an understanding of diversity by modeling behavior based on mutual and unconditional love for self, love for others, and love for God. We encourage every available opportunity to celebrate and explore individual and cultural differences. It is our goal to create a program where the child’s natural desire to learn is stimulated through meaningful, appropriate, and playful learning experiences that meet the needs of each individual child, in an environment that is culturally relevant for them as well.


We believe that children who are engaged in purposeful play are children who are discovering, creating, improvising and expanding their learning. Our programs work by helping the children be active participants in their own development. We help them reach the next milestones in their development journey by planning enrichments and activities designed to stimulate their own emerging skills.

Program Overview

GraceKids provides care for children preschool ages 6 weeks-5 years of age, and After School programs for children K-5th grades. We are open Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM until 6:00 PM, except published holidays and emergency/weather-related closing. Except for infants, enrollment is based upon your child's age or grade on September 1st. GraceKids may, in consultation with teachers and parents, change your child's class assignment during the year to best fit each child's developmental needs.


Our program year is August 1st through July 31st. Our curriculum is faith-based, child-focused, and designed to encourage independence and promote each child's social-emotional, physical, language, intellectual, and spiritual development in a loving and safe environment. Children in the childcare program are served breakfast lunch, and two snacks each day.


The After School Program follows the Vestavia City Schools calendar. The After School Program is offered on days when Liberty Park Elementary SChool is in session and includes transportation from VHELP to GraceKids. Spiritual and social-emotional development are promoted in a relaxed and fun environment. Assistance with homework is provided as needed and a snack is served to each child daily. Drop-in care is available for an additional fee during the school year on days when VHELP is closed and GraceKids is open for childcare. This drop-in service is only available to children enrolled in the After School Program.


During the summer we offer Amazing Grace! Kids Summer Camp for children who have completed Kindergarten through fifth grade. Enrollment for summer camp takes place in the early spring and is separate from the school year program.

Curriculum

GraceKids utilizes Pinnacle, a Christian faith-based curriculum, to enable our teachers to plan meaningful learning experiences for your children. Our curriculum incorporates exploration, self-initiation, and discovery learning. Teachers act as facilitators to help children discover new concepts, and plan enrichments based on each child's strengths, interests, needs and individual learning styles. Everyday at GraceKids, children are exposed to language enrichment, math/manipulative play, science/sensory play, social skill building, creative arts, music, fitness, and outdoor time. In addition, our PreK classroom uses the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum to build fine motor and writing skills and prepare for kindergarten.


As part of our curriculum, GraceKids children participate weekly in Chapel time led by the Grace church ministers and leadership team. Through songs and Bible stories, our children grow in their faith and understanding of God's love for them.


We also partner with the Birmingham Zoo to present "Little Explorers" to our toddlers and preschool children twice a month. This is an exciting, hands-on time of exploring nature and science, and meeting live animal visitors.


Other extra-curricular activities are available to enrolled children for additional fees.