Infants

Faith-Based Values

The Christian message of God’s grace, love, and forgiveness is the foundation of all learning at Open Arms. The Infant program at Open Arms encourages children to grow in all developmental areas while experiencing God’s love.  On a daily basis there is a Bible lesson, carried out through music & movement, language development, motor skills activities, creative arts, social/emotional development, sensory exploration, and outdoor play.  The children also attend chapel every Wednesday with the pastor where age appropriate materials are used to teach God’s Word.  Most importantly, the teachers at Open Arms incorporate Christ’s love into their lesson plans and demonstrate His love throughout each and every day.

Safe, Secure & Nurturing Environment

An infant’s capacity to learn is present from birth. Infants learn about their world primarily through social contact- the experiences they have with those who take care of them beginning at birth. Every infant is an individual with a unique temperament and a set of developing skills and abilities. Although the rate and pattern of development vary from child to child, all infants progress through similar stages of development.

Each infant has their own crib and the linen is changed daily. When the child is not asleep or eating, he/she is free to move about the room, explore and interact with others. The children are held during bottle feedings and assisted when ready for solid foods.  We encourage breastfeeding and provide a lactation room for privacy.

We adhere to daily schedules parents provide for eating, sleeping and other routines as much as possible, keeping in mind that infants will to some extent adjust those schedules based on their own needs. We provide written entries throughout the day, providing detailed information about food consumption, sleep, disposition and activity level and any special experiences or extraordinary achievements they make such as first word or first step.

Parents can view pictures of their child throughout the week using our Shutterfly app.

QUALITY CHILD CARE BEGINS WITH QUALITY PROGRAMMING

The One In Christ curriculum gives infants the opportunity to grow and thrive in a christian environment while meeting their developmental levels.  The curriculum uses a research-based content approach to early learning based on leading theorists in the field such as Vygotsky, Erikson, Piaget, Maslow, and Gardner.  The Infant level offers twelve themed units that go through the Bible chronologically with weekly Bible stories; they correspond with themes tied to the calendar year.

UNITS OF LEARNING IN INFANTS

We use the Georgia Early Learning Development Standards (GELDS)

• Approaches to Learning
• Cognitive
• Language
• Physical
• Social / Emotional

In the Infant program each child’s developmental growth and development are assessed on an ongoing basis.  Observing the children during play allows the teacher to regularly assess whether the children have developed the skills described in the GELDS.  Parent-Teacher Conferences are held for each child twice yearly. The teachers use the information collected in the Child Profile to individualize instruction so that the growth of each child is maximized.