What is a Cooperative Preschool?

It is a school owned and operated by the parents of preschool children (aged 3 to 5 years) which offers educational and creative play activities in half-day sessions for the children, and a learning experience for the parents.

The group is licensed by the Community Care Facilities Licensing Board, and employs a competently trained and licensed ECE who not only directs the children’s programs, but trains the parents to become her assistants.

How does the Family Benefit?

A cooperative group seeks to provide the preschool child with an educational experience of high standard, and in addition, provides several other advantages to families:

1. A growth experience for both child and parents, as the child’s first educational step is taken together.

2. A cooperative group provides parents with the opportunity to develop the skills necessary to develop the skills and insights needed for guiding children well, and to meet, socialize and work cooperatively with a group of parents from a cross-section of the community, sharing with them emotional and practical support.

3. The relatively lower cost of cooperatively run groups (as compared with private schools) brings them within reach of more families.

4. Just as the larger groups of family relatives did earlier, the cooperative group helps to diffuse the child’s emotional dependence from his/her parents to other friendly adults.