At First Tier Childcare we believe that when educators view children as competent and capable, early learning environments become places of wonder, joy, and meaningful growth. Quality childcare supports the whole child - socially, emotionally, physically, intellectually, and spiritually - through well-prepared environments that encourage exploration, developing healthy relationships, and learning through play. We recognize the importance of social and emotional development in the early years; by age 3 a child’s brain will grow to about 90% of an adult brain, making this a critical time to build communication, critical thinking, and relationship skills that are essential for school readiness. Research has shown that social and emotional competence and play are just as important as the ABCs and 123s. In order to support healthy social, emotional, and physical development, we encourage children to create, move, sing, discuss, observe, read, and play on a daily basis.