Harbor House Children's Center
Harbor House Children's Center, the first licensed childcare center on Mount Desert Island, has been serving the families of our Island community since 1985. We provide quality care and early education for children ages 12 months to school age, whose parents live or work on MDI. The Children’s Center is open 51 weeks a year, including snow days, school vacations and most teacher workshop days.
Whether it is playing with Legos, sharing a story with a cuddly friend or enjoying the fresh air in our large, natural PlayGarden, Harbor House Children’s Center provides a quality early care and education experience that will give your child a combination of guidance and freedom to grow and learn.
Our program is based on the State of Maine Early Childhood Learning & Infant Toddler Guidelines. We balance structured activities and free play so children can learn in the way they learn best - playing, exploring and having fun. Our goal is to provide the best care, help build a foundation of skills, and nurture a love of learning that will last a lifetime. We pride ourselves in the support we provide families for a successful transition to public pre-k and kindergarten.
Our spacious, light-filled classrooms and natural PlayGarden provide a wonderful learning environment for all ages. Whether creating a finger painting, listening to a story or fishing from our child-sized lobster boat, the Children’s Center will nurture your child’s imagination, curiosity and excitement about learning.
Children's Center Rates
Ladybugs $190.00 Age 12-24 months , 5 days a week
Busy Bees $190.00
Age 24-36 months, 5 days a week $45 daily
Dragonflies: $175.00
Age 3 until Kindergarten, 5 days a week $38 daily
Registration Fee: $35.00
Children's Center Staff
Director:
Pam Reed
Lady Bugs
The Lady Bug room offers care for children ages 12 to 24 months. Our staff is trained in the State of Maine Infant/Toddler Guidelines and for families with little ones this means that our Lady Bug Program is based on current best practice and is developmentally appropriate. Each child will be nurtured, challenged, entertained and cuddled. We want to provide a wonderful home away from home for your child, so that you can face your work day secure in the knowledge that your child is safe, happy and learning.
Busy Bees
The Busy Bees room offers care for 2 year olds. Our teachers understand how this age learns and they provide a morning rich in language, literacy, exploration and fun. Songs, finger plays, books, art and outdoor play are regular parts of the day. Our Busy Bees are truly busy, learning about themselves and the world around them.
Dragonflies
The Dragonfly room offers care and a developmentally appropriate preschool program for 3 and 4 year olds. Based on Maine’s Early Learning Guidelines, you can feel confident that in addition to terrific childcare, your child will experience a preschool program that will build the foundation for a lifelong love of learning. These children are ready to learn and our teachers provide the themes and activities to excite them. Our natural PlayGarden is the perfect outdoor classroom for studying insects, birds, butterflies, seasons and more. Field trips throughout our community provide a rich sense of our local culture and an appreciation for our neighbors.