Children’s House is a licensed early learning childhood center serving Orcas Island families since 1969; it is the oldest preschool on the island and the only school on Orcas providing care for infants through six year olds. Children’s House helps to preserve the sustainability of our unique Island by giving working families an education-oriented pre-school for their young children. Children's House:
- is the oldest preschool on Orcas Island
- is licensed to care for infants six weeks and older
- is eager to help families of all income ranges, family structures and unique needs
- is an early learning center where each child has a learning plan
- serves only organic food prepared in our kitchens daily
Children's House serves a number of constituents:
- Working families who need care for the youngest children
- Families who want some socialization experience for their children
- Single parents who need contact with other singles and families
- Community members who have a place to refer neighbors and friends when family and children issues arise
- Individual family members who need advice, support, counseling to assist them during difficult times
- Orcas Island by providing an essential social infrastructure component to ensure physically, socially and emotionally healthy children who will grow up to offer contributions, rather than challenges, to their community
Children's House:
- Offers early childhood education services, not just safe babysitting
- Serves only organic food prepared daily in our kitchens
- Brings children, families and the community together to resolve issues in a caring, immediate, enduring, confidential and effective way.
- Tenaciously holds to its mission, guided by the principles of excellence, perseverence, compassion and accountability.
- Accepts the challenge of providing the highest quality of childcare to a large number of its families who are in the lowest economic categories. An October 2003 front page "Islands Sounder" newspaper article revealed that San Juan County has the greatest gap between the haves and the have-nots in the country.
