About the Child Development Center at Fairplex
The Fairplex Child Development Center is a private, non-profit center operated by the Los Angeles County Fair Association since 1980 and in alliance with the University of La Verne since 1991. We cherish children, support families, build community among diversity and pursue excellence in early education.
We serve children and families from twelve weeks to kindergarten age with specially designed infant, toddler, preschool and kindergarten classrooms, which emphasize developmentally appropriate experiences for the children and is regarded as one of the finest facilities of its kind in California. Children are admitted into the various programs regardless of income, religion, ethnicity, gender, culture, language, or developmental differences, based upon enrollment space availability.
Our program is proud of our highly trained and qualified staff certified in early childhood education, many of whom hold advanced degrees in child development or related fields. The Fairplex Child Development Center also serves as a professional development school for students enrolled in the University of La Verne’s early childhood education program. This partnership with the University ensures that the Center’s program incorporates the highest standards to encourage optimum child development opportunities.
The Fairplex Child Development Center is a great place with a safe learning environment for a child to grow and learn. I recommend the CDC to any parent without hesitation!”
— Current CDC parent
CDC Mission
We are a premier model, early care, and education program in collaboration with the University of La Verne. Our staff and leadership are dedicated to providing the highest quality, safe, nurturing, educational environment where diverse children, families, and adults come together to learn and grow. We cherish children, support families, build community among diversity, and pursue excellence in early education.
CDC Philosophy
Our curriculum focuses on a child’s four primary developmental domains: cognitive, language, social-emotional, and physical. We emphasize first-hand experiences in play, oral language, listening, books, and phonemic awareness. Our facility is adjacent to the grounds of the nation’s largest county fair. This provides the unique opportunity to have amazing hands-on educational experiences — “from Apples to Zoo” — that cannot be taught in a classroom.
As a well-known African proverb states, “It takes a village to raise a child.” The Fairplex Child Development Center strives to be a key part of that “village.” The Center is a private, non-profit organization in partnership with the Los Angeles County Fair Association and the University of La Verne.
In 1980, the Center began as a child care resource to under-served communities. In 1991, two major milestones occurred. A new building was constructed to increase enrollment capacity, and the Center formed a partnership with the University of La Verne. This new alliance established the Center as a lab school and hands-on training facility for students pursuing a Child Development degree from the University of La Verne.
Today, the Center serves children twelve weeks to kindergarten age, in specially designed infant, toddler, and preschool classrooms. The Center is licensed under Title 22 under the Department of Social Services. We follow Title 5 under the California Department of Education Code for teacher qualifications and ratios.
Integrating development of the whole child
“Our purpose is to improve our community by educating and preparing today’s children, their families, and tomorrow’s teachers to succeed in a diverse and changing world”
— Paul Strand
CDC Staff
We have a strong commitment to the education of our teachers. We know from many research studies that when a teacher has a well-rounded education, the children in their class will do much better. Our classroom teachers hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development or related subject. Many are working on or have even completed a Master’s Degree in Child Development.
Holly Kirkland Reynolds – Director of Children and Family Services
Has full responsibility and provides leadership for the Center’s educational programs, personnel, and daily operations as well as serves on the Board of Directors as Staff Representative.
Bio: Holly Reynolds has been committed to social & emotional development as an early childhood teacher, director and college instructor for 30 years. Her passion is helping teachers and families support their child’s emotional & social development to help them reach their potential.
Holly was introduced to Conscious Discipline in 2007 at a state wide conference, she knew at that moment this was the program that she had been looking for. After a three year implementation at her school, the Fairplex Child Development Center in Pomona, CA, she began the process to become a certified trainer to help others learn the life changing skills. She now conducts trainings at the state wide level, for educators, families and business leaders that is tailored to the needs of the specific organization. With her studies in Organizational Leadership Holly is well suited to assist organizations make the transformational change that Conscious Discipline can provide. She is a passionate and energetic speaker who involves the audience in the experience of learning new skills and becoming conscious.
Holly earned a Bachelor’s degree in Child Development, Master’s Degree in Human Development and is currently working on completing her Doctorate in Education.
Education: Ed.D. Doctorate in Education Candidate, Organizational Leadership, University of La Verne M.A. Human Development, Pacific Oaks College, Pasadena
Certified State-Wide Trainer for Conscious Discipline
Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership, University of California at Los Angeles, Anderson School of Business
B.A. Child Development Interdisciplinary Studies, Cal State San Bernardino
“Having our center here on the grounds of the Fairplex is a special benefit. Our children are able to go on walks to see wonderful things such as farm animals and wonderful educational exhibits. Working closely with our students and faculty from the University of La Verne helps make our center a very special place. As a result of our partnership, we can serve and learn from our children, families, and our university students. The reciprocal learning adds a special element.”
The Center formed a formal partnership with the University of La Verne in 1991. This new alliance established the Center as a lab school and hands-on training facility for students pursuing a Child Development degree from the University of La Verne. The teaching faculty from the University are active in observing and consulting on curriculum and best practices at the center. They often are seen observing their students and the children in all of the classrooms.
CDC Programs
Philosophy
We utilize research-based, best practices in all of our age groups. Taking into consideration research from brain research, literacy, and child development, our programs are well designed to help children develop to their fullest. Through guided play, fun, and well-designed learning activities, children will learn at their best pace. Our expert teachers design individualized learning activities to help children grow and learn to their potential. With our caring teachers and well-designed learning environment, children, develop confidence, competency, and skills to be successful in education and through their lifetime. We help children learn in the domains of social and emotional, language and literacy, cognitive and thinking, health and physical development.Literacy-Based Curriculum
Our program provides a literacy-enriched environment where children develop a love of reading and language-based activities. Our take-home backpack program helps all children have access to a variety of books to be read to them before bedtime. Research demonstrates that when children are read to on a regular basis, they will be ready to be readers. Our children learn their letters and the sounds of the letters when they are in our Pre-Kindergarten classes and are ready to read by Kindergarten.Fair Field Trips
During the month of September, the Los Angeles County Fair is right outside our back door. Our Toddler and Preschool classrooms design walking trips to some of our special learning exhibits, such as the Big Red Barn to see where milk comes from! This is a very special time for our children and families. We invite families to join us, allowing us to share the learning experience.Conscious Discipline®
Within this program, children learn skills to build a sense of community (the School-Family) and to develop empathy and caring for others. The children learn to manage their emotions and deal effectively with conflicts. Research studies have found that when children learn pro-social behaviors early they are more likely to succeed later in life in areas such as health, education, career, and life-long relationships. And we know that all children deserve to have a successful life! “We use a nationally known program to help children & adults develop social-emotional intelligence.” It is the only program that integrates classroom management with social-emotional learning, utilizing everyday events as an opportunity to learn. The children are taught techniques to help manage their emotions, build trusting and caring relationships and to handle conflict in a constructive way. Conscious Discipline® is a comprehensive social-emotional learning and classroom management program based on current brain research, child development knowledge, and best practices. Written and designed by Dr. Becky Bailey, a child psychologist, this program has gained national recognition as a model for character education for early childhood education and elementary education programs. For more information on this program go to consciousdiscipline.com or call Loving Guidance, Inc. at 1-800-842-2846.Baby Signs®
Our center is a certified Baby Signs School, with our teachers specially trained to use simple sign language with our babies to help them learn to communicate, even before they can talk. We have found that our babies love learning to sign different things such as bottle, milk, and all done to communicate their needs and wishes. They also love to sign things such as bird, tree, and outside to express their enjoyment of our environment. We have found that our babies can begin learning simple signs as early as six months. As children begin to speak, their reliance on the signs diminishes. Some research indicates that children who learn sign language as a baby will develop expanded vocabularies.Garden Program
Our garden program helps our preschool children to learn about the science of growing and the nutrition of eating foods that are healthy for us. With our very own garden in our playground, our children plant the seedlings and nurture them as they grow. They are very excited when it comes time to harvest the kale, broccoli, carrots, tomatoes, and other vegetables. Our children help to prepare the vegetables and are excited to try them! With the ever growing obesity epidemic, it is important that our children learn to make healthy food choices.Parent Information
Parent Involvement
We have many opportunities for parents to become involved at our center.- Our Parent Advisory Committee consists of representatives from each classroom. The committee advises on issues such as events, teacher appreciation and recognition, fundraising, and supporting the needs of the classrooms. All meetings are open to any enrolled parent.
- Parents are invited to help in the library. Our children’s library has over 5,000 books. We welcome families who can come and help with storing, repairing, and organizing books.
- Our largest fundraising event is our Annual Dinner and Auction, held on the last Thursday of September each year. We ask all of our parents and families to assist in whatever way they can by soliciting for donations, donating items for the silent or live auction, helping to wrap the baskets, or helping the day of or evening of the event.
New Parents – CDC Enrollment
- We invite you to set up a tour of our school by calling 909-623-3899 or emailing us at cdc@fairplex.com.
- Upon seeing the school and based upon space available, your next step is registration, which requires some paperwork and payment of the registration fee.
- We will then make an appointment for you to visit with your classroom teacher. We ask that families set up at least two visits. These visits are for you and your child to become acquainted with our teachers, and for our teachers to become acquainted with your child. This visiting time helps to make a smooth transition from home to school.
Resources and Links
We are currently accepting infant through preschool applications.
*Applications are in pdf format. Download Acrobat Reader here.