About
History
Originally entitled South Side Day Nursery, the center has a long rich history of providing child care for the south side residents of the City of Columbus. In 1927, our current facility was donated by Mrs. W. A. Miller. The name was changed to South Side Learning & Development Center in 1984 to emphasize our quality Early Childhood Education program. To address the unmet need for infant and toddler care in Franklin County, South Side Learning & Development Center increased the number of high-quality Early Care and Education spaces for infants and toddlers.
Operating Policies
SSL & DC is open year-round from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. We offer a full day program to accommodate infants, toddlers and preschoolers, part day preschool and an extended day to accommodate working parents. The center is closed on most major holidays and also two days per year for a professional development.
Who Is Served
Services are primarily provided to children of families residing in Franklin County who are at-risk for school failure. Priority is given to children whose parents are employed or in training for full-time employment.
South Side enrolls up to 111 children between the ages of 6 weeks to 5 years regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or ability. Application may be made by phoning 614-444-1529 or emailing our Administrative Assistant, Ashley Fraley.
Goals and Objectives
South Side provides a comprehensive program that promotes intellectual, emotional, social and physical growth, and development to meet the needs of each child. The individual identity and cultural heritage of each child is respected and encouraged.
Our commitment to children is: to know about, abide by, and advocate laws and regulations that enhance the quality of life for young children. We will support the rights for children to live and learn in environments that are responsive to their development needs. We will improve our competencies in providing for children’s needs. We will appreciate each child’s uniqueness, thus enhancing the child’s self-respect.
In cooperation with home, school and community, South Side Learning & Development Center is concerned for the “Whole Child.”
- Enroll all children who come to our door, to enable parents to work or to train for work, and to serve as many children in need as possible.
- Assess each child when they enroll, and at regular intervals throughout enrollment, to understand where they are and to build a learning plan for their unique gifts and needs.
- Serve the learning needs of the whole family as holistically as possible.
- Use research-based learning objectives in curriculum design.
- Provide continual professional development for our teachers.
- Follow educational best practices in the design and operation of our new facility.
Why parents choose our program:
✔ 90+ years of proven quality early education
✔ Program emphasis on kindergarten readiness maximizing optimal development from birth to kindergarten
✔Variety of program choice: Head Start; Early Head Start; Early Start Columbus; Ohio Dept of Education – Early Childhood Expansion of Public Pre-K; Publicly Funded Child Care (Title XX); Private Pay
✔Maintain high quality as evidenced by national accreditation from National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)
✔ Professional, degreed and certified teachers develop and implement curriculum driven program
✔ Ongoing child assessments help focus both group and individualization of program activities
✔ Low teacher/child ratios
✔Professionally planned nutritional breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack served daily
✔ Well-equipped playground
✔Support for the entire family, including basic needs assistance; crisis intervention; employment assistance that includes internet access, job search assistance and resume preparation; and referral to GED classes provided by Godman Guild
✔Publicly Funded Child Care (Title XX) processed entirely on-site
✔Accessible from bus lines; 3 miles from downtown Columbus, Ohio
Partnerships/Memberships:
South Side Learning & Development Center is a member of the National, the Ohio, and the Columbus Associations for the Education of Young Children, the Franklin County Coalition of Coordinated Child Care Providers, the Ohio Chamber of Commerce, the Franklin County Human Service Chamber and the Ohio Association of Child Care Providers.
Board of Trustees:
Mary Cusick, President | Chief, Office of TourismOhio
Paul Collinsworth, Treasurer | Vice President Commercial Banking, Huntington Bank
Shiloh Todorov, Secretary | Executive Director, German Village Society
Dan Arnold, Member | Medicaid Program Administrator, Ohio Department of Job & Family Services
Beth Fisher, Member | Community Advocate
Doreen Luke, Member | Associate VP of IT Infrastructure, Nationwide
Stan Jacot, Member | EVP/General Manager, Jane’s Dough
Brad Tobe, Member | Controller, Crane Group
Mark VanBenschoten, Member | CFO Roush Honda
Karlene Yamamoto, Member | Director of Development, City Year Columbus
Christy Schoedinger, Member | Director of Development, Wexner Center for the Arts
Janice Foster, Member | Owner, Creating Communities, LLC
Administrative offices: 280 Reeb Ave., Columbus, OH 43207
