Business Details
16 Years
experience
Premier Child Development Center in Houston
The Childhood Center is a family-owned and -operated private school dedicated to providing individualized, high-quality child care for children aged 6 weeks through kindergarten. Our highly trained staff specializes in early childhood education and development, maintaining low student-to-teacher ratios to ensure personalized attention and care. We offer an age-appropriate curriculum designed to instill a lifelong love of learning while fostering motor skills, social development, and academic readiness. Founded in 2010, our approach combines decades of combined experience in education and child development, emphasizing creativity, exploration, and structured learning. We prioritize creating nurturing relationships between children, educators, and families, with a focus on safety, trust, and individualized growth.Our facilities feature specialized environments for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers, including interactive learning centers and secure outdoor play areas. We integrate STEM, language arts, and Spanish immersion programs to prepare children for kindergarten and beyond. Our commitment to health, fitness, and nutrition is reflected in daily physical activities and a balanced meal program. The leadership team brings extensive expertise in education and organizational development, ensuring a supportive and innovative learning environment. We pride ourselves on transparency, ethical practices, and a client-centric approach that values family involvement and community trust.
Services
Infant Care
Toddler Programs
Preschool Curriculum
Pre-Kindergarten
Kindergarten Program
Spanish Immersion
Fitness Activities
Summer Camp
STEM Education
Nutrition Program
Details
- Year established: 2010
Highlights and features
- We maintain low student-to-teacher ratios for personalized attention.
- Our staff has decades of combined experience in early childhood education.
- We offer age-specific, developmentally appropriate learning environments.
- Our curriculum exceeds Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards.
- We provide daily physical activity and a balanced, healthy meal program.
What people say
Loving staff
Excellent preparation
Safe environment
Creative curriculum
Responsive communication
Services
Infant Care
Our infant care program provides a secure, stimulating environment for babies aged 6 weeks to 12 months. With a 3:1 student-to-teacher ratio, we focus on developmental milestones through personalized activities, bonding opportunities, and sensory exploration. The curriculum includes daily floor play, singing, storytime, and nap routines tailored to each child's needs. Our facilities feature padded floors, mirrors, and interactive walls to encourage motor skill development and early learning.
Toddler Programs
Designed for children aged 12 months to 2 years, our toddler programs balance structured learning with free exploration. With ratios of 4:1 and 6:1, we foster independence through play-based activities, potty training support, and socialization. Classrooms include soft blocks, art centers, and outdoor play areas. Daily routines emphasize language development, motor skills, and emotional growth through storytelling, music, and guided play sessions.
Preschool Curriculum
Our preschool program for 3-year-olds focuses on foundational academic skills through interactive learning centers. Children develop math concepts, science awareness, and communication abilities in a structured yet playful environment. Activities include puzzle-solving, shape recognition, storytelling, and creative play. The curriculum promotes social skills through group activities while maintaining an 8:1 student-to-teacher ratio for individualized instruction.
Pre-Kindergarten
Our Pre-Kindergarten program prepares 4-year-olds for kindergarten with an advanced STEM and language arts curriculum. Students engage in scientific method practice, number sequencing, and literacy development while exploring habitats, seasons, and basic geometry. The program exceeds Texas standards through hands-on experiments, story retelling, and collaborative play. Daily writing practice and social-emotional learning support kindergarten readiness.
Kindergarten Program
Our kindergarten program builds on foundational skills with a challenging curriculum aligned with and exceeding Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills standards. Students master reading comprehension, mathematical concepts, and scientific inquiry through project-based learning. The program emphasizes writing development, social responsibility, and critical thinking while maintaining a focus on creativity and individualized growth in a supportive classroom environment.
People
Ann Marie Quaid
Executive Director
Ann Marie Quaid founded The Childhood Center after a career in child development and education. With a B.S. in Family and Child Development from Southwest Texas State University, she has worked with children from infancy through fourth grade. Her experience includes parent counseling, curriculum development, and managing diverse educational programs. She combines personal insights from raising six children with business expertise from her spouse to create innovative learning environments.
Angela Zacharias
Director of Organizational Development
Dr. Angela Zacharias oversees teacher training, curriculum design, and operational efficiency at The Childhood Center. She holds a Ph.D. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and certifications in human resources. With experience developing international education programs in Mexico and managing charter school operations in Houston, she brings expertise in organizational development and staff training to enhance educational outcomes and family support systems.
Questions
What age groups does The Childhood Center serve?
We provide care and education for children aged 6 weeks through kindergarten, with specialized programs for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and pre-kindergarten students.
What is your student-to-teacher ratio?
Ratios vary by age group: 3:1 for infants, 4:1 and 6:1 for toddlers, and 8:1 for preschool and pre-kindergarten classes.
Do you offer summer programs?
Yes, our 11-week summer camp includes themed activities like STEM projects, sports, theater, and weekly field trips within the facility.
What curriculum do you use?
Our curriculum exceeds Texas standards with focus areas in STEM, language arts, Spanish immersion, and social-emotional development through play-based and structured learning.
Are meals provided?
We offer milk, two snacks, and hot lunch daily. The program excludes pork and artificial sugars, with options for families to provide their own meals following our guidelines.
How do you handle potty training?
Our Toddler III classroom includes positive reinforcement potty training support with accessible facilities and staff guidance to encourage independence.
Reviews (7)
Chris Bacarella Photography
Jul 29, 2021
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Positive:Professionalism
This center is very enriching for children and we trust them to care for our child. They have fun, educational activities, and my child has learned so much by sending her here. They care about their families and have good communication.
This center is very enriching for children and we trust them to care for our child. They have fun, educational activities, and my child has learned so much by sending her here. They care about their families and have good communication.
Ashley S.
Mar 31, 2021
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The Childhood Center is a wonderful place. Both of my children go there. The hours are amazing for working professionals who have long days. The teachers really care about the children and infants. The Childhood Center works with new moms regarding feeding and nap schedules. The teachers expose infants to reading, songs, touch and play activities and "arts and crafts." Its very cute. They use an app that coordinates with parents so parents know what their infant is doing throughout the day. The older the child gets; the Childhood Center teaches them so much through STEM. My child knew
Felicia C.
Aug 13, 2020
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My daughter has been enrolled since April 2019. (18 mo thru 3 yr class rooms) My husband and I are thrilled with the staff, the cleanliness of the facility and the overall environment at the Childhood Center. Our daughter thrives at the facility. We took a small break through COVID, but have been happy with our decision to have our daughter return to school this past June. Ann Marie has taken precautions to keep the children and staff safe. During the lockdown phase as the laws were rapidly changing, she stayed on top of the new rules and kept the parents informed. The curriculum is thorough
Paula G.
May 15, 2020
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I would never recommend this place to anyone! The owners are absolutely disrespectful and unprofessional. The place is dirty and my kid was constantly sick. My experience with this daycare was horrible. It makes me sick just thinking about it.
Emily Grivon
Jan 19, 2020
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I have two children, 3 y.o. and 1 y.o., enrolled here at the West Alabama location. They have both been here since they were four months old. Overall, we have been very pleased with the school. Our family has built many relationships with the teachers and staff over the years. The teachers have always been so loving of my children (despite their separation anxiety, refusing to drink bottles, lack of napping skills...my sweet, challenging babies). Several teachers have been there since both kids were babes including both Ms. Ashleys, Ms. Tamika, and Ms. Jessie. As a professional educator, the relationship
Jillian B.
Sep 08, 2019
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The owner shows her true colors in the comment she just posted regarding my husband and I trying to "extort money from her" It is sad when someone is in business, let alone one that is around children who is only concerned with money, and the customer's experience means nothing. In our meeting I stated that "I would like to ask that we get a prorated amount for the remainder of the month" as we stopped using their services after 3 weeks due to the lack of attention our daughter was receiving and the behaviors of the staff that I witnessed during our short tenure there since we had paid for the
Hrini Karavasilis
Aug 22, 2019
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I absolutely loved the Childhood Center, the staff, the director, and the owner. My little girl was 4 years old when enrolled. The classroom was big and organized. The teacher was amazing. My girl loved it there, and developed a close, loving relationship with the staff. The graduation ceremony for the kids moving on to Kindergarten was amazing, and the Childhood center event took photos of the kids in cap and gowns for the parents. It's the well thought ideas and gestures like this that made our time there so memorable. Their operations are aligned with other childcare facilities, and rules are
