Catherine Filene Shouse Building  36 First Avenue Charlestown, MA 02129 Tel: 617-726-6010 Christine Smith, Director Email: clsmith@partners.org

About the Center

The Children's Quarters at the MGH Institute of Health Professions offers care for children 12 months to 5 years of age to staff and students of the Institute, Charlestown community and Partners community.

The Children's Quarters is located in the historic Charlestown Navy Yard in the newly remodeled Catherine Filene Shouse Building, home of the MGH Institute of Health Professions.

The Center is licensed to provide developmentally appropriate care to children between the ages of 12 months and 5 years old.

Our classrooms are staffed by Department of Early Education and Care (DEEC) certified teachers who are employed by Partners HealthCare System.

The curriculum meets NAEYC standards for accreditation in early childhood programs. Our teacher/child ratio exceeds that required by DEEC.

The Program
The three classrooms at the Children's Quarters are designed to be developmentally appropriate for Infant/Toddlers, Older Toddlers/Young Preschoolers and older Preschoolers.

As an National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accredited center, we use the guidelines established by NAEYC to determine developmental appropriateness for all levels of care provided.

The curriculum is developmental and emergent in nature. The day is planned to provide a balanced variety of free choice, teacher led, and small and large group activities. The teaching staff individualizes the curriculum to meet the needs of each child in their class.

Our philosophy is that children learn through play while being offered structured choices that focus on all areas of development. These include, social/emotional, cognitive (which includes pre-math and pre-literacy, science and nature), self help and independence, speech and language and small and gross motor.

Applications
The Children's Quarters is open to employees and students of the MGH Institute of Health Professions, Partners HealthCare System, Inc. and the Charlestown Community.

Following our receipt of the application, families will be contacted when a space becomes available at either the Children's Quarters or the MGH Children's Center. An enrollment interview will be scheduled with the director to finalize enrollment. At this time a non-refundable security deposit totaling one months tuition and a registration fee of $35 will be required. The security deposit will be applied towards the first full month of care.

Openings will be filled on a first-come first-served basis by the date that the application is received. Selection will be made with consideration given to availability of slots in age groups.

MGH benefits-eligible employees with a total family income of less than $75,000 per year are eligible to apply for tuition subsidy.

Families affiliated with Partners Health Care System, Inc. with children enrolled at the MGH Children's Center or the Children's Quarters will receive enrollment priority for siblings at the Partners Child Care Centers.

Click here for an enrollment application form

Enrollment
25% of our slots are reserved for Charlestown residents. Priority for the remaining openings is given to the Institute of Health Professions faculty, staff and students, and then to employees of Partners HealthCare System.

Tours
Tours of the Center may be scheduled by appointment

Hours of Operation
The Center's hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 7:00am to 5:45pm, 52 weeks a year, excluding holidays.

Meals and Snacks
Parents provide lunch each day and the Children's Quarters provides two nutritious snacks each day.

Medical Resources
The Children's Quarters also makes use of other resources available through Partners to ensure a healthy and safe environment.

Parent Participation
As a work-site childcare program, we encourage full participation and welcome visits from parents. Our goal is to create a very special community of support among parents, children and staff, where all can share in rich and rewarding experiences and in the joy of these very special years of children's development.

The staff will serve as a resource to parents through daily reports, ongoing communication, and special enrichment and educational events.

Management of the Center
The IHP Children's Quarters is managed by Partners Child Care Services, a department of Partners Human Resources. The Director of the center reports to the Director of Child Care Services.

The Children's Quarters is licensed by the Department of Early Education and Care of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The Children's Quarters does not discriminate in providing service to children and their families on the basis of race, religion, disability, cultural heritage, political beliefs, marital status, national origin or sexual orientation.

For more information on our child care services, please call the Children's Quarters at 617.726.6010.