A variety of skills, such as critical thinking, language acquisition, social competence, and the capacity to learn, all develop before a child enters formal schooling. What happens – or doesn’t happen – to children during these years of their lives is extraordinarily important, both to their immediate wellbeing and to their future.

The Sierraflor Foundation and everyone that works at its Early Childhood Learning Center believe wholeheartedly that every child must be ensured the best start in life because their future, and indeed the future of their communities, nations and the whole world depends on it.

The faculty of the Early Childhood Learning Center consists of a Physical Therapist, who is also the Director, a Nursery Specialist, a Teacher, and two Assistants. The Center’s schedule has been created based on the work schedule of the children’s parents and therefore the Center is open from 6:30 a.m. until whenever the last child is picked up, which is sometimes late in the evening.

In order to foster health and hygiene habits, the Center follows a daily routine that begins when the child walks in the door. When children arrive at the Center, they are bathed or shower themselves, eat breakfast, wash their plates and silverware, and brush their teeth. A similar routine, minus the bathing, is followed during and after lunch.

Throughout the day the Center’s personnel stress various skills depending on the age of the child. These include early stimulation of motor skills, cognitive and language development, fine and gross motor skills, social and emotional skills, play and group participation skills, etc.

It is also important to note that Sierra Flor Co. Ltd. (the Company that created the Foundation and provides most of its support) encourages its employees to participate, and gives them time off to do so, in school activities. The Company also gives mothers with newborns time off throughout the workday to nurse and bond with their babies.