For Families » Parents’ Message

    • Message From Children's Village Families

    Mission Statement

    CV Families is an informal group of families whose children attend Children's Village. Our goal is to support each other and Children’s Village through our communications, social gatherings, and sharing of our diverse resources.

    How We Found Our Way To Children's Village

    Jennifer photo

    When my son, Luca, was 18 months, I learned about Children's Village from a dear friend.  At the time, she was going through a rough divorce and had found great solace in her son's loving teachers.  My husband and I toured the school, meeting with our prospective class, and it was love at first sight.  Luca was completely at home and sat down with some toys, ignoring us while we talked with Beth Baker, Family Services Director. We began with two days a week, working up to three and then full time.  While Luca was verbal prior to enrolling, he quickly advanced and was very happy with his new life outside the home.

    At age 4, he continues to learn valuable emotional, social, and academic lessons at Children's Village while surrounded by a progressive environment rich in diversity - from the students all the way down to the healthy menu.  My husband and I are so grateful for Children's Village that we offer our help to the school in a variety of ways, from co-founding CV Families to volunteering on committees - even helping to identify potential vendors.  We are thrilled that our daughter Milla is now enrolled in The Toddler Program, and will always be committed to Children's Village, long after our children have graduated.

    - Jennifer, CHILDREN'S VILLAGE PARENT

    Beth photo

    In late 2006 when I became pregnant with my first child, Nathan, many of our friends who are parents warned us about the challenges of finding quality childcare in Center City. After extensive research about the options in Philadelphia, we finally stumbled upon Children’s Village. There were two specific things that my husband and I were looking for in a school for Nathan: first, that the teachers worked to build communities in their classrooms that nurtured the children’s social, emotional, and cognitive development; and second, that the school demonstrated a commitment to diversity along multiple lines – racial, ethnic, gender, socio-economic, language, ability – and that teachers encouraged the rich learning that can emerge from such diversity.

    Now that I’ve been a CV parent for almost 3 years, I’ve had the opportunity to see the little things that the teachers and administrators do each day that emphasize their commitment to these ideas. Sometimes these things are formal, like organizing workshops for parents around emergent issues for our children or consistently providing interpreters and translation services to communicate effectively with all CV families. But most times, it’s the smaller, informal things, like the hugs Nathan gets each day from his teachers and the words of love and encouragement the entire staff offers to him as he learns and grows. From each of these actions – big and small – I am continually reminded that my husband and I made an excellent choice for our child and for our family.

    - Beth, CHILDREN'S VILLAGE PARENT

    Invitation To Become Involved

    We invite you to become involved with CV Families.  Our group meets once a season for a play date, usually at Franklin Square Park.  We also began an annual Valentine’s Day party, Sweets for the Sweet, in appreciation of the Children's Village staff.

    You will find that your overall experience with Children's Village becomes even more meaningful when you connect with other families.  Many of us have shared interests and live in close proximity throughout the Philadelphia area (making play dates so easy).  Email us at cvparents@gmail.com.

    - Jennifer Cohan and Beth Wassell