Early Childhood Center

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About Us

ABOUT OUR ECC

Supporting Children and Families With Care and Excellence

The Early Childhood Center (ECC) opened in 1982 and is a Country & Town Baptist Church ministry. Its purpose is to provide care and opportunities for each enrolled child to reach his/her greater potential spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially.


The curriculum for the daily program is based on weekly themes or units designed to provide a great variety of opportunities for children. For each age level, curricula are planned according to developmentally-appropriate practices. Bible stories, simple prayers, and biblical principles are an integral part of the curricula for each of the four preschool classes.

"Little Church" is a special time each week for the combined classes to hear a Bible story and sing worship songs especially for young children.

A spacious fenced-in playground is a favorite place to play for the children who attend the ECC.

The safety and security of your children is important to us. To protect your children, we have installed a security system on each of the entrances to the Early Childhood Center. The people you have authorized to pick up your child may be issued a security device for entrance into the ECC (a refundable deposit is required for each device issued).

To enter the ECC, hold your security device near the reader device located beside the entrance door. When the light turns green, you can open the door. If you forget your device, use the intercom located above the security reader to contact the ECC staff. The security devices will only open the ECC entrance during normal drop-off and pick-up hours.

The ECC is blessed to have an experienced, qualified, and well educated staff!

Director Jennifer Hoffer came on staff June 2019. She also served as the previous director of Heavenly Hands for 15 years.

The average tenure of other staff members is approximately ten years. They are highly committed to the nurture and development of the children under their care. Staff members receive ongoing training and are certified in First Aid training for childhood emergencies and procedures.

Our Programs

ECC PROGRAMS

Programs Designed for Learning, Growth, and Care

The Early Childhood Center (ECC) is a ministry of Country & Town Baptist Church. Its purpose is to provide care and opportunities for each enrolled child to reach his/her greater potential spiritually, mentally, physically, emotionally, and socially.

The ECC offers a daily program (Monday through Friday) with full- and half-day options. Our Mother's Day Out program is currently unavailable.

The ECC is open year-round and offers a daily preschool with the option of extended care. Preschool hours in each class are from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. or from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (through the lunch hour), one-to-five days per week. The ECC is open from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for those who desire the full-day option. Separate classes for children ages three through kindergarten are offered. After-school care is available for kindergarten children who attend the full-day kindergarten program in the Mechanicsburg Area School District.  Transportation is provided by the district for children attending the district's Kindergarten Academy.
The school term usually begins the last Monday of August and concludes the first week of June on a Friday. The summer term begins the following Monday and concludes the last week of August. There is a one-day teacher in-service day between the summer and fall terms. The program operates Monday - Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. for those who desire extended care. The preschool hours in each classroom are from 8:30 – 11:30 am, or 8:30 am to 12:30 pm (through the lunch hour). Children may be enrolled on a part-time or full-time basis.

Parents are to provide us with the name of anyone authorized to pick up their child if it is someone other than the parent. We will release children to authorized persons only. Proof of identification will be required if the individual is unknown to ECC staff.

Please drive with caution through the parking lot. When you pick up your child, you must turn your car off before entering the building or approaching the playground.

Children with a fever, acute cold, vomiting, cough, diarrhea, or sore throat are asked not to attend. Parents will be notified when a child becomes ill. Because of the risk involved to other children and for the comfort of the sick child, parents are expected to pick their child up promptly. Children must be fever-free 24 hours before returning to the ECC.

A "Medicine Permission Form," located in each classroom, must be completed and dated daily if a staff person is to administer medicine to a child. No medication will be given without written parental permission (including cough drops and throat lozenges). All medication needs to be in its original container. No expired medications will be given.

Children need to be dressed to play! Sneakers are most appropriate for the older class and are required for play on the playground. An extra set of clothes is recommended in the event of spills or "accidents."

Admissions

A parent may register their child any time there is an opening in the school. Most register for the beginning of either the Fall or Summer session. In January, parents of all students enrolled have the opportunity to register their child for the upcoming Summer or Fall session. Families new to the school will be contacted by a teacher prior to the student's entrance date. An individual appointment will be arranged for the parents and child to become acquainted with the program and to receive additional information designed to help each child feel secure in a new situation.

Registration

Class sizes are limited. Please contact the ECC office (by phone or email) to check on available space for the program that you would prefer for your child.

To apply for the enrollment of your child in one of the programs of the ECC, please download and print out the appropriate form. Then fill out the form and bring it to the ECC office with the appropriate payment. Fees are shown on each form.

Summer 2026

Registration for in-house students will be open on January 7 for the upcoming Summer 2026 session at the Early Childhood Center at Country & Town Baptist Church. The Summer 2026 session will begin the week of June 8.

Registration will be open to the public towards the end of January. If you would like to tour the center, you may contact Jennifer Hoffer, ECC Director, at 717-697-0184 or [email protected] to schedule an appointment.

Parents will be contacted in March to confirm your child's registration. Once your registration form/fee is accepted, your child’s spot is secured for the session selected. We cannot hold a spot without the required registration form/fee.

Register Now

Fall 2026

Registration for in-house students will be open on January 7 for the upcoming Fall 2026-Spring 2027 session at the Early Childhood Center at Country & Town Baptist Church. The Fall 2026 session will tentatively begin the week of August 24 (based on when Mechanicsburg Area School District begins).

Registration will be open to the public towards the end of January. If you would like to tour the center, you may contact Jennifer Hoffer, ECC Director, at 717-697-0184 or [email protected] to schedule an appointment.

 Parents will be contacted in March to confirm your child's registration. Once your registration form/fee is accepted, your child’s spot is secured for the session selected. We cannot hold a spot without the required registration form/fee.

Register Now

Tuition and Payment Policy

A tuition and payment policy has been formulated to provide necessary and regular income. Tuition is based on enrollment (a reserved space), not attendance. Parents are to pay the school on the first day of attendance each week, or as prearranged with the school director. A late fee will be assessed when payments are not made by Wednesday of each week. Parents are responsible for advising the school director if any weekly payment cannot be made on time. A deposit equal to one week’s tuition is required to be paid in advance of each session. (An additional week’s deposit is required if tuition payment is late more than once.) The deposit is used as the final payment for the session.

Parents wishing to withdraw a child from the ECC before the end of a session must give two weeks written notice to that effect. Full payment is expected for those two weeks.

The ECC provides developmentally appropriate programs for children ages 3 through kindergarten. Although groups might at first glance appear to be designated by chronological age only, equal attention is given to the developmental level of every child in the program


A late fee of $5.00 for each 15 minute interval will be charged when a parent is more than five minutes late picking up a child at the end of the scheduled daily session. This fee is to be added to the following week’s tuition payment. The morning session ends at either 11:30 AM or 12:30 PM, and the center closes at 6:00 PM sharp. We ask that you be considerate of our staff’s schedule, required staff/student rations, and that you would be prompt in picking up your child.
Credit days are issued to full-time children (one for every two months in attendance) and may be accumulated or used for payment on any day a child is absent. They may also be used for holidays. Credit days must be used within each session.
A tuition assistance fund was started by members of C&T Baptist Church in December of 2005 to offer temporary help with tuition expenses for parents who request help. A completed application is reviewed, and assistance offered is based on need and availability of funds.

Employment

Looking To Add A Preschool Teacher and Assistant Teachers

The Early Childhood Center is excited to announce openings for a Preschool Teacher and Assistant Teachers. We are seeking candidates with a background in child development, along with experience in teaching or working with young children. If you possess a genuine passion for serving the Lord, children, and families, this is an ideal chance to share your talents and make a meaningful impact every day!

To submit your application, please download it using the link provided below. You can either email it to [email protected] or print it out and deliver it in person during our regular business hours.

For more information, contact Jennifer Hoffer at (717) 697-0184 or [email protected].

Online Application

Contact Info

Director: Jennifer Hoffer
[email protected]
(717) 697-0184
220 Gettysburg Pike
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055

School Hours

Daily Programs
Monday - Friday
Full day: 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Preschool: 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Preschool with lunch: 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.