Early Childhood Center

Established in 1957 as a teacher preparation and research center, the Wayne State University College of Education Early Childhood Center (COE-ECC) offers preschool programs for 2 1/2 to 5-year-old children with options for before- and after-school care. Student teachers in elementary/early childhood education and special education/early childhood education curricula have a required semester of student teaching at the COE-ECC as part of their teacher preparation program.

• Contact us

  University Tower Apt.
  4500 Cass, Suite 1
  Detroit, MI, 48201
  Phone: 313-577-1686
  Fax: 313-577-6841

• Adult-Child Ratio
  For classrooms with an enrollment of 16 children, there is an adult-child ratio of 1:8. For classrooms with an enrollment of 18 children, there is an adult-child ratio of 1:9. Each classroom is staffed with one lead teacher and one assistant teacher.
• Staff

  The executive director has a master's in Early Childhood Education and an Elementary Teaching Certificate with an Early Childhood Endorsement. The center director has a master's in Elementary Education and an Elementary Teaching Certificate with an Early Childhood Endorsement.

  Each preschool classroom is staffed by a lead teacher and an assistant teacher. Lead teachers are certified in Elementary Education with an Early Childhood Endorsement. Assistant teachers have either a Child Development Associate Certificate (CDA) or an Associate of Arts in Early Childhood, Preschool Education or Child Development, or 120 clock-hours of documented, formal child care education offered by approved training organizations and approved by Michigan Department of Education staff.

  Additionally, the center has Wayne State University student assistants who assist in the classroom and in the office.

  Before they are hired, all staff must undergo a Department of Human Services clearance to insure they have not been accused of child abuse or neglect and a Michigan State Police ICHAT clearance to insure they have not been convicted of a crime.

• Program Options

  The COE-ECC offers several preschool program options for 2 1/2 to 5-year-olds. The preschool program options are tuition-based unless families qualify under the Michigan Department of Education Great Start Readiness Program Grant (GSRP) or the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Grant (CCAMPIS).

  GSRP is a full-day (8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.) program that is free of charge to families who meet the eligibility criteria established by the Michigan Department of Education (MDE). Children must be 4 years old by December 1 of the program year and parents/guardians must be able to document two eligibility factors in accordance with MDE guidelines.

  CCAMPIS is a full-day (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) program that is free of charge to parents who are undergraduate students at Wayne State University and Pell Grant-eligible. Parents must be registered for a minimum of six credit hours during the academic year and maintain a GPA of 2.0.

  Preschool and tuition program options can be found in the Payment Procedures & Policies section of the Policies & Procedures page.

• Non-Discrimination Policy

  The COE-ECC admits all eligible children regardless of race, color, handicap, nationality, or religious background.