We are dedicated to serving the diverse children and families of the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa and the broader early childhood community.

Our Mission:

• Access Support. UHMCC provides a high quality early childhood program to encourage enrollment of parents of young children at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa.  Secondarily, it encourages the attraction and retention of high quality University faculty and staff who are parents of young children.
• Community Support. UHMCC provides a continuously improving model of a relationship-based early childhood program that balances care and education.  This model supports the early childhood community as an educator training site, investigation and research site, and voice continuous improvement.

Our Goals:

• Create and maintain a loving, home-like, dynamic learning environment filled with adults who care about, challenge, encourage and support children in realizing their fullest capacity and potential.
• Develop and maintain positive, productive, supportive and caring relationships between administration, staff, families, children and the community with a focus on respecting, honoring and welcoming all cultures and world views.
• Support, encourage, finance and promote professional development, pre and post service, for the Children’s Center’s staff, University of Hawai’i students and educators from the larger early childhood community.
• Develop and maintain a curriculum that emphasizes collaboration among children and adults, infused with a sense of place (Mānoa Valley; the Waikiki ahupua’a) which honors Hawaiian culture and values while celebrating life through art, music, drama, literature, movement, science, real work, real play, and close relationships.

Childhood is a journey, not a race…