History

The Seattle Infant Development Center (SIDC) was first organized as an infant childcare center in November of 1977 by Dee McQuesten. Mrs. McQuesten was a woman on a mission. Determined to find high quality childcare near her place of employment she founded the first childcare center in downtown Seattle.

Since its inception more than 45 years ago, SIDC has expanded to include children up to six years of age. Currently serving over 50 children enrolled in 5 classrooms, SIDC has cared for children in downtown Seattle for decades.

SIDC continues to be a premier childcare Center in downtown Seattle helping foster familial relationships and encourage parental involvement.

Quick Facts

  • Founded in 1977 as Downtown Seattle’s 1st childcare center

  • Located inside Plymouth Church (not-religiously affiliated)

  • Enrollment: 50+ Children

  • Full-time and part-time care provided

    • see Kinside for the latest availabilities

  • Ages served: 1 month through 5 years

  • Classrooms: Infant through Pre-Kindergarten

  • Faculty: Over 20 teachers, with an average of nearly 12 years at SIDC, and over 14 years childcare experience

  • A non-profit organization

    • Tax status: 501(c)3

 

Our Mission

SIDC works tirelessly to create a community where families, staff, and students treat each other with respect. We do this by constantly evolving, allowing for the integration of new ideas, and focusing on tolerance, compassion, and appreciation of our differences. Teamwork between these stakeholders allows us to collaborate and create culturally competent networks and partnerships.

SIDC takes pride in our ability to instill reliability and integrity in our students by teaching them to be moral agents, active members of democracy, and responsible, fair, and altruistic problem-solving citizens of the future. Both our staff and our families are expected to role-model these behaviors for our students and one another.

SIDC’s education is geared toward not only well-rounded academic skills, but also teaching life-long, independent and interpersonal skills. Our teachers, Early Education professionals, teach interdisciplinary knowledge, inquisitiveness, patience, exploration, autonomy and character-building. We strive to create opportunities for families to extend this learning at home.

Our school represents a home-away-from-home for our families and we believe communication and cooperation in parent-school-community partnerships allow us to be the resilient, ever-growing, proactive and understanding Center it is today. We are actively working to serve and continue representing a diverse community of learners and provide a safe, warm, and supportive environment to all those with us.

 

Our Philosophy

SIDC provides a warm and caring environment to all families regardless of special needs, lifestyles, race, or religious beliefs.

To ensure high quality childcare, SIDC’s philosophy rests on seven core principles:

  • Each child is a unique individual with differing needs, rhythms and rates of development. Interaction with each child takes place in accordance with the child’s own level of maturation and unique temperament.

  • Children are naturally motivated to learn. SIDC emphasizes a safe and stimulating environment, filled with age-appropriate materials that encourage freedom of exploration and the development of competence.

  • Children develop a sense of security by learning to trust. We therefore stress the importance of consistency and appropriate responses to the child’s expressed needs.

  • One of the prime ways children learn is through their interactions with the people around them. To this end we attempt to integrate children and staff of diverse backgrounds.

  • The best group care setting for a child’s development is one that closely models care given in the home and supports each child’s primary caregivers, their parent(s). We work to accomplish this through close contact with parents and parent participation.

  • Children develop a valuable self-concept when respect and consideration are used on a daily basis in interactions.

  • Small group size, as well as low child-to-staff ratios, help encourage a warm loving environment.

 

Non-Discrimination Statement

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. OSPI CN Programs Reference Sheet OSPI CNS November 2015 To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; fax: (202) 690-7442; or email: program.intake@usda.gov.

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.