With most of our development happening before we even reach kindergarten, starting an education at age 5 or 6 is too late. That’s why we’re working for "early education for all."
Parents and volunteers are welcomed to come share their gifts and talents with us.
Early Childhood Education
We operate two nationally-accredited child development centers that provide full-day, year-round early education and care for children 1 month old up to when they go to kindergarten. Our centers offer safe, planned learning environments and curricula that promote children's cognitive, language, social, emotional, and physical development. NorthStar was recently recognized by Root Cause/Social Impact Research as one of 21 Recommended High Performing School Readiness Organizations in Massachusetts, selected from over 400 "school readiness" programs.
Devereux Early Childhood Initiative (DECI)
Adopted by NorthStar in 2002, the nationally-recognized DECI model involves early childhood teachers and parents in assessing children's social and emotional strengths and working together to create plans for both the program and home settings that support children's social and emotional development, foster resilience, and prevent challenging behavior. Addressing behavioral difficulties early on helps ensure children's school readiness and success. Funded by United Way of Greater New Bedford
Our early education and care programs:
- Are based on research findings about how children learn
- Follow state early education curriculum and assessment standards
- Are accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children