Infant Care Program
Building a foundation of learning for your little ones!
About Infant Care
Healthy attachment relationships are critical for successful early learning during infancy and provide the essential foundation on which all subsequent learning occurs.
Caring staff members work with families to provide personalized care for each infant, following the family’s schedule for their infant, and recognizing each infant’s individual cues for eating, sleeping and diapering.
Age Range for Infant Program: 6 weeks - 12 months
Learning Outcomes
Infants learn best through meaningful play, sensory interactions, and active exploration of their environment as well as through interactions with adults during routine care.
Staff provide opportunities for infants to develop language and communication, social emotional, fine and gross motor skills through meaningful experiences.
Trained staff nurture curiosity and help infants explore music, art, science and nature and math through developmentally appropriate activities.
Infant Care Program Locations
Find a location that works for your family and expand the section to get started on taking a tour.
Abington Early Learning Center
1073 Old York Road, Abington, PA 19001
Columbia North YMCA Early Learning Center
1400 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19121
Gilbertsville Early Learning Center
144 Holly Road, Gilbertsville, PA 19525
Montgomery County Community College Early Learning Center
340 Dekalb Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422
Mount Laurel Early Learning Center
1001 Briggs Road, Suite 260, Mount Laurel, NJ 08054
Phoenixville YMCA Early Learning Center
400 East Pothouse Road, Phoenixville, PA 19460
How old does my child have to be to participate?
Families can enroll as early as 6 weeks.
What's the staff to child ratio?
We follow a 1 adult to every 4 children ratio.
How do teachers communicate with parents about child progress?
Daily notes on foods eaten and quantities, sleeping, photos and activities are provided through Tadpoles. Families are provided with development progress reports three times per year.
How do you maintain a sanitary environment?
Handwashing occurs upon entering the classroom, before handling food and feeding, after handling body fluids, before and after messy play.
Mouthed toys are set aside for washing and sanitizing before being placed back in the play area.
Surfaces in the learning center are washed and sanitized frequently. Rest mats/coats are sanitized weekly and bedding is sent home at the end of each week to be laundered. Carpets are cleaned regularly.
What health and safety precautions are taken?
To learn more about the health and safety precautions we follow at Y Early Learning Centers, please review our Family Manual. We also follow the standards outlined by Praesidium for child protection.
What do families need to provide as part of their child's care?
Families provide crib sheet, sleep sacks, bottles, changes of clothes, diapers and wipes, infant foods dependent on location.
All items brought from home shall be labeled with the child’s full name.
How will my child spend their day?
Infants spend most of their day exploring their environment on the floor. We actively encourage breastfeeding by allowing nursing mothers to feed in the classroom and by having refrigerator and freezer storage for human milk.
Do your programs have a waitlist?
Our infant programs typically have a waitlist so we encourage touring and putting your name on the wait list as soon as you know you will need future care.
When will my child be fed?
Infants are fed on demand and are gradually transitioned to the center’s schedule for snack and meals times when they move up to the next classroom.
Infants are kept in the infant room until about 12 months of age. Transitions are conducted in consultation with the family, introducing new foods shall occur at home for at least 2 weeks prior to be offered in the care setting.
What type of shoes should my child wear?
Infants may wear socks, booties, or developmentally appropriate shoes for beginning walkers.
For parents/guardians infant rooms are shoeless – staff do not wear their street shoes in the classroom and families are encouraged to remove their shoes or use a shoe covering prior to entering the classroom.
Infants do spend time outdoors so appropriate outerwear is necessary.
Can my child bring a screen play device?
Screen time is not permitted in infant rooms.
Financial Assistance
We believe everyone in our community should have the opportunity to benefit from YMCA programs and services. Our Financial Assistance Program is central to our mission.
