Intro
Orange County Parent Child Center (OCPCC) is one of Vermont’s Parent Child Centers (PCCS), a network of 15 community-based non-profit organizations that serve all areas of our state. PCCs not only provide critical services – they also partner with other service providers to ensure that services are coordinated and effective and that families have access to all the programs they need. The Parent Child Centers serve as a home base for Vermont families who need support.
The focus of each center is to provide support and education to families with young children with the goal of helping all Vermont families get off to a healthy start, while promoting well-being and building on family strengths. This level of support and education has proven to prevent problems such as school failure, poor health, welfare dependency, family violence, and various forms of abuse. Preventing these problems makes our communities stronger and saves money for the state.
The work of the Orange County Parent Child Center brings family support and outreach programming into homes and communities throughout Orange County, meeting families where it is convenient and comfortable for them. Although we are headquartered in Tunbridge, we serve the communities of Bethel, Bradford, Braintree, Brookfield, Chelsea, Corinth, Fairlee, Newbury, Randolph, Rochester, Royalton, Stockbridge, Thetford, Topsham, Tunbridge, Vershire, West Fairlee, and Williamstown.
At the heart of our Tunbridge facility is a full-service, year-round, Early Care and Education for children from 6-weeks to age 5, which is licensed for 59 children. OCPCC also supports partnerships with public schools to provide public pre-kindergarten services to three and four-year-olds under Act 166.
Our mission is to help families and children thrive and build a sense of belonging within their communities by connecting them to education, support, advocacy, and wellness opportunities.
The OCPCC Experience
OCPCC strives to create an experience that keeps the physical space and materials simple and grounded by natural elements whenever possible. Our beautiful Tunbridge location is set on 16 acres of woods, fields, and meadows and we bring the children outside to play and learn every day it is feasible to do so. We believe children deserve to be surrounded by an atmosphere that models the rhythms of home and seeks connections to the natural world.
We are committed to finding ways to stimulate and engage children in ways that do not require complicated toys. Instead, we aim to create a place where parents see that children enjoy the simplest of things and can find joy, comfort, and routine in them.
Our staff is trained in child development, early childhood education, early childhood mental health, special education, child nutrition, CPR, First Aid, and other related fields. In addition to their professional expertise, they have been selected for their warmth, understanding, and friendliness.
We pride ourselves on building a staff that has a wide variety of experience and styles so that we can appeal to and serve all families with knowledge and compassion. We regard parents and caregivers as partners and encourage you to play an active role in the functioning of the program and in your child’s experiences in our programs.
There are many opportunities for parents to be involved at OCPCC, either through serving on the Board of Directors, working with committees, helping with fundraising, volunteering, or other activities. Parents are welcome to visit the program at any time, and we encourage you to let us know if you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions.
Because our early education operation is just one program of the Parent Child Center, we hold an especially deep commitment to serving the whole family; offering access to many resources and programs that can help a family through both short-term periods of transition and long-term difficulties.
Should you have questions that relate to children or families, please consider OCPCC as your first stop for information. If we cannot help you, we can connect you with people who can – and we will maintain a connection with your family until you have found what you are looking for.
