Preparing Your Child to Thrive in School — and in Life
Our early learning centers at Ecolab, Hubbs, South Minneapolis, Midtown and Downtown are open to all families!
At YWCA Minneapolis, we equip children with the knowledge and skills to reach their true potential. Our NAEYC-accredited and Four-Star Parent Aware rated early learning programs offer a whole-child learning approach to build children’s social-emotional, cognitive, physical and cultural development.
We help prepare all Minnesotan children to thrive — creating a sense of belonging in the classroom with our anti-bias curriculum and pushing to eliminate the educational opportunity gap in our state for families from all races, ethnicities, cultures and incomes.
YWCA Children’s Centers exceed outcomes. In 2021-2022:
- 85% demonstrate age-appropriate development
- 93% of YWCA preschoolers entering kindergarten are proficient in school readiness standards
- 88% of children demonstrated grounding in their own culture
- 82% of families connected to and accessed community services
YWCA Child Care & Early Learning
Through high-quality child care and early learning programs, YWCA Minneapolis can help your child develop their individual interests and skills, connect with peers and build positive behaviors to support their academic success and become well-rounded learners for life.
YWCA’s award-winning programs, staff, facilities and teaching initiatives have helped thousands of Minneapolis children prepare for life in and beyond school. Leverage our nationally accredited, anti-bias early childhood education and child care programs to set your child on course for a bright future.
Your child’s future. Free of bias. Making a Difference. That’s the Difference.™
What Sets Us Apart?
Education
We offer excellent curriculum, staff and family guidance.
YWCA Minneapolis provides industry-leading programs. Our early childhood education curriculum (grounded in anti-bias and child-initiated play) focuses on the whole-child learning approach and covers social, emotional, cognitive and physical development while supporting self-esteem. We also assist with child assessments, behavior guidance, curriculum and family resources to position the families we serve to thrive.
Fitness
We provide diverse Health and Wellness opportunities for your entire family.
YWCA Minneapolis provides each newly enrolled family with a free one-year Health & Wellness family membership. This gives members full access to our state-of-the-art fitness facilities and classes. YWCA swim lessons are also included as part of our preschool curriculum, teaching children essential life-saving skills; these swim classes are available in September through May at select locations, based on staff availability.
Enrichment and Culture
We encourage children to expand and enrich their cultural perspectives.
YWCA Minneapolis children take regular visits to local community sites to engage and celebrate different cultures across our city. These activities provide social, cultural and recreational opportunities that are both fun and enlightening. We also provide on-site music, yoga, mindfulness and art classes, which we believe are critical pieces of early education.
YWCA parents can also join in on the fun through family events. These gatherings promote healthy child development and encourage parents to connect with their children’s classroom community, including teachers and other families, through a range of exciting activities. YWCA events include simple family breakfasts, karaoke get-togethers and much more.
Nutrition
We support your children through best-in-class nutrition programs.
YWCA Minneapolis prepares fresh infant formula, baby food and food for breakfast, lunch and an afternoon snack — on-site every day. Our proven nutrition program focuses on whole grains, whole foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, along with ethnically diverse foods that support optimal health and energy.
We also structure our menus to minimize sodium, sugar, saturated fats, food dyes and artificial ingredients whenever possible to provide the healthiest nutrition for your child.
Communication and Support
We ensure fast, transparent communication and support for your child’s needs.
Throughout our child care and early learning programs, you will have access to daily parent-teacher communication and regular conferences to monitor your child’s progress. We perform research-based assessments at regular intervals — and provide on-site screenings and services through organization partnerships.
YWCA Minneapolis programs also provide annual on-site kindergarten screening through the Minneapolis Public Schools, which can be used for enrollment in any Minnesota school district.
YWCA Minneapolis was named one of the nation’s top 10 for “exemplary programs” for family engagement by NAEYC.
YWCA Children's Center Locations
Our centers are proud to be NAEYC-accredited and Four-Star Parent Aware rated.
Proven Quality Day Care
YWCA Minneapolis is featured on NAEYC’s site as one of the top 10 “exemplary programs” for family engagement in the nation. Our Four-Star Parent Aware rating demonstrates our excellence in the use of practices to best prepare children for kindergarten — and beyond.
Financial Assistance
YWCA Minneapolis welcomes families who receive funds from the following sources:
- CCAP (Child Care Assistance Program)
- Pathway I Scholarships
Please contact us regarding financial assistance opportunities that may be available to your family.
Parent Testimonials
"We love the diversity of our YWCA community. Interacting with and getting along with people of many different backgrounds, races and cultures is completely normal to our children. This is something we have had to actively strive for in our own lives, and the fact that it’s no big deal to them is priceless."
"It’s been remarkable watching our children grow with YWCA. They both have special bonds with the teachers and their classmates and it’s been rewarding to see those bonds evolve, especially with our two-year-old. Seeing her grow with the same children from the infant room up to the toddler room has been really special. It’s been amazing to see the values that YWCA represents be reflected in our children as they learn and grow."
"YWCA has a great team of employees who make you feel confident leaving your children with them and my kids adore them. I love that they enjoy playing, but also they learn new things while they are there. I love that they treat the children with kindness and if I have any questions or concerns, they are always willing to speak with me."
"We have been so happy with YWCA’s Early Childhood Education program. We love that our kids have such a diverse group of staff to care for them — they can see themselves reflected in their teachers and also learn about cultural diversity. We have met some of our best family friends through YWCA — and those friendships have continued even after our children have grown."
"We have had a great experience at YWCA Children’s Center at Ecolab. Our daughter started as an infant and is now excitedly looking forward to kindergarten in the fall. She has a love of learning, which has been fostered with YWCA, and she is more than ready for the next chapter of her education, both academically and socially."
"Our daughter benefits from the care, attention and expertise she gets from her teachers — and all the loving adults she sees at school — every day. And we’ve been able to lean on their expertise when we have questions or concerns about how to support Stella’s learning at home.
We were hoping for care and programming that reflected our priorities around respect, diversity and health — and reflected the diversity of our neighborhood. We found this with YWCA."
"I appreciate the nurturing hearts of the teachers and the time they take to make sure that each child gets individual attention. YWCA has been instrumental in offering outstanding support with additional needs and has been very open with communication and updates in regards to my child’s learning, growth and development."
“The teachers are why we stay. They really care about our kids and early childhood education. The teachers are always communicating well with us, helping our kids through transitions and challenges and teaching them such valuable lessons about justice, friendship and being kind.”
—Sarah Brouwer
Referral Rewards
Refer a family to a YWCA Children’s Center and receive $100 off your tuition if they enroll! Plus, the referred family also receives $100 off their tuition.