Dean Family Child Care Home & Preschool
🌿 OUR PROGRAM
A Small Place for Big Growth
Dean Family Child Care Home & Preschool is a licensed family child care program serving children from infancy through age five.
Our program combines the nurturing, home-like environment of family child care with a strong focus on early learning, preschool development, and kindergarten readiness.
Children don't have to wait until they are three to begin learning. From the earliest years, children are supported through responsive relationships, play, language, movement, exploration, nature, and hands-on experiences.
As children grow, our learning experiences grow with them.
🍃 A Strong Foundation for Kindergarten
For our preschool-aged children, learning becomes increasingly intentional as they develop the skills they'll need for a confident transition to kindergarten.
We support early literacy, mathematics, science, creativity, communication, problem-solving, independence, social-emotional development, and physical development through developmentally appropriate, play-based experiences.
Kindergarten readiness is about much more than knowing letters and numbers. It's about helping children become confident, capable learners who can communicate, build relationships, solve problems, manage emotions, participate in a group, and approach new experiences with confidence.
🌱 Small by Design
Just six children. One consistent teacher. Meaningful relationships.
Our small group size allows me to build genuine relationships with each child and understand their individual interests, strengths, needs, and learning styles. Children have opportunities to develop close friendships, participate in meaningful conversations, explore without becoming overwhelmed by a large classroom, and receive individualized guidance throughout their day. Small doesn't mean fewer opportunities.It means more opportunities for each child to be seen.
🌿 Nature Is Part of Our Classroom
Learning Doesn't Stop at the Door.
Our outdoor environment is an extension of our classroom. Children have opportunities to dig, build, create, climb, observe, collect, investigate, make mud pies, explore natural materials, and experience the changing seasons firsthand.Nature provides endless opportunities for children to practice problem-solving, creativity, cooperation, physical development, and scientific thinking—all while developing a meaningful connection with the world around them.
❤️ Supporting the Whole Child
Learning How to Be Part of a Community
Preschool isn't only about preparing children academically for kindergarten. Children are also learning how to identify and communicate their feelings, solve problems with friends, wait, take turns, advocate for themselves, respect boundaries, navigate disappointment, and become increasingly independent. Social-emotional development is intentionally woven throughout our day. Children are supported as they learn to recognize their emotions, communicate their needs, develop coping strategies, build friendships, and become confident members of their classroom community.
🌿 Spaces to Pause, Reset & Reconnect
Our program includes thoughtfully designed indoor and outdoor calming spaces where children can step away from the activity of the group when they need a quieter moment.
These spaces offer calming and sensory materials that support children as they practice recognizing what their bodies need, regulating their emotions, and returning to play when they feel ready.
Rather than being used as a consequence, our calming spaces are available as supportive tools for all children and are part of helping children gradually build lifelong self-regulation skills.
Indoor Calming Space
A cozy place for quiet, connection, and regulation.
Outdoor Calming Space
A peaceful space to reset while staying connected to nature.
🎨 Inspired by the Reggio Emilia Approach
Children are capable, curious learners with ideas worth exploring. Our program is inspired by principles of the Reggio Emilia approach, including respect for children as capable learners, an emphasis on relationships, thoughtfully designed environments, and curriculum that grows from children's interests and questions. Teachers observe, listen, document, and provide materials and experiences that encourage children to take their thinking further. The environment itself becomes part of the learning process—inviting children to wonder, investigate, collaborate, and create.
🏡 The Best of Preschool & Home
Not Just Child Care. Not a Large Center. Something Different.
Dean Family Child Care Home & Preschool combines the professional standards and intentional learning experiences families expect from a high-quality preschool with something a large center can't always provide—the intimacy, consistency, and comfort of a small home environment. Children spend their day with one consistent teacher and a small group of friends rather than moving between large classrooms and multiple caregivers. At the same time, families receive the structure and professionalism of a licensed early childhood program.
⭐ Keystone STARS 4🌿 Maximum 6 Children👩🏫 Experienced Early Childhood Educator🏡 Licensed Home-Based Program🍎 Meals & Snacks Included🕐 Full-Day Care
🌼 Come See What Makes Us Different
Dean Family Child Care Home & Preschool combines the professional standards and intentional learning experiences families expect from a high-quality early childhood program with the intimacy, consistency, and comfort of a small home environment.
Children spend their days with one consistent teacher and a small group of friends rather than moving between large classrooms and multiple caregivers. At the same time, families receive the structure and professionalism of a licensed, Keystone STARS 4 early learning program.
Ages 6 weeks-5 years old • Harleysville, PA • Monday–Friday • 7:00 AM–5:00 PM