Name: Elmcrest Children's Center
Telephone: +

Small Wonders Daycare Center

Small Wonders Daycare is designed for children 5 years of age and younger. The program, located on Elmcrest’s main campus, has an infant room, a toddler room, and five integrated preschool classrooms.

The Center is open to children 5 years of age and younger and focuses on developing early literacy, math, and social skills, and also works to guide and nurture young children toward enrollment in a traditional kindergarten curriculum. Children are provided breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack, as well as time to enjoy fun and fitness at our large outdoor playground and indoor gym.

Staffed by NYS-certified teachers, teaching assistants, and a variety of professionals, our Center is open year-round Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Referrals for childcare subsidies may also be available for qualifying families who need support to manage childcare costs.

Enrollment

Applications are available at the Early Education Center at 960 Salt Springs Road, Syracuse.
To schedule a tour or for more information, please contact:
Kelly Ventre (Daycare Coordinator) p. (315) 446-3220 e. kventre@elmcrest.org.

Documents

Testing Protocol and Procedures
Contact Tracing Protocols and Procedures
Continuity of Learning Plan – In-Person and Remote Learning as Needed

SPICE Program

The SPICE (Special Preschool Integration for Children’s Education) Program provides preschool special education services to children from more than 17 school districts throughout Onondaga County and the surrounding counties.

The full-day program runs at the Early Education Center (960 Salt Springs Road) for five hours, from 8:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The half-day program operates in collaboration with the East Syracuse Minoa School District at Park Hill School (303 Roby Avenue, East Syracuse) with morning (9–11:30 a.m.) and afternoon (12:30 p.m. –3 p.m.) sessions of 2 1/2 hours each.

Both the half and full-day programs run Monday through Friday and follow the school calendar of the district where the children reside. All classrooms have identified special education ratios, the number of staff to a number of students, and are inclusive – meaning peers who don’t receive services are enrolled in the classrooms as well. Children enrolled in the SPICE Program receive onsite speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, play therapy, and other clinical supports, all provided by New York State licensed professionals.

Early Education Center SPICE also is a licensed Play Project provider. Play Project is a parent-implemented intensive early intervention program for young children with autism that is evidence-based.

SPICE – Full Day & Half Day – Currently enrolling for Summer and Fall sessions.

Registration Process

To enroll your child in SPICE, the child’s home school district’s Committee on Preschool Special Education (CPSE) must approve a half- or full-day preschool program, referred to as a SCIS (Special Class Integrated Setting) on the child’s IEP. Once a program has been approved, the district often will contact us with specific referrals.

Referral Process and Enrollment

Interested families call for more information or to begin the referral process. Our Family Coordinators will be happy to discuss options for your child and further explain the process.

If your child has qualified for a full-day program, contact: Shelly Canavan p. (315) 446-3220.
For the half-day program, contact: Desiree Phillips p. (315) 434-3805.

Universal Pre-Kindergarten

All children ages 3 and 4 who reside in the Syracuse City School District are eligible for free, Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK).

We provide Universal Pre-Kindergarten services at both our Early Education Center and the Northside Early Education Center from 8:00 a.m.to 1:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The registration process involves completing the online application through the Syracuse City School District’s Early Childhood Program. Choose Elmcrest as the preferred location on the application.

Registration Process/Tours

To schedule a tour or for more information on UPK, please contact:
Kelly Ventre p. (315) 446-3220 e. kventre@elmcrest.org.

Northside Prospect Avenue

The Northside Early Education Center (located in the heart of the Northside neighborhood at 516 Prospect Avenue) provides a diverse Early Education learning environment designed for children ages 18 months to 5 years.

The program focuses on developing early literacy, math, and social skills, and works to guide and nurture young children toward enrollment in a traditional kindergarten curriculum. Children receive free breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack and enjoy fun and fitness on our playground. We also provide free Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) for Syracuse City School District residents at this location. After-school care options may be available for UPK families.

Staffed by NYS certified teachers and trained teacher assistants, our Center is open year-round Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Referrals for childcare subsidies may also be available for qualifying families who need support to manage childcare costs.