‘A really vital bridge’: Clark College’s child care center and lab school provides crucial support to kids, their parents

Outdoor area preschool teacher Matthew Philbrook, right, puts pieces of wood away with students Arielle Herrera, center, and Miles Hess on Thursday morning at the Clark College child care center and lab school in the Child and Family Studies area. (Taylor Balkom/The Columbian)

The Child and Family Studies building at Clark College’s main campus. In 1999, Clark’s Early Childhood Education program and child care center became a single department called Child and Family Studies.

Preschoolers Juniper Phillips and Ace Evans play at a mud kitchen Thursday morning at the Clark College child care center and lab school in the Child and Family Studies area. “I reached out and touched base with a couple of the parents that have their children enrolled here, and they said that we have been a really vital bridge in helping them achieve their academic goals,” said Rose Witteveen, the Child and Family Studies director of educational services. (Taylor Balkom/The Columbian)

A preschool classroom opens up into an outdoor play area Thursday morning at the Oliva Family Early Learning Center and lab school in the Child and Family Studies area. Parents who enroll their kids at the center are also enrolling in a parent education class, where they learn positive discipline, get support, and can ask questions about child development and parenting strategies, said Rose Witteveen, the Child and Family Studies director of educational services. (Photos by Taylor Balkom/The Columbian)