The Children’s Center

For more than 30 years, The Children's Center has provided high-quality early childhood education and care for families across Cape Cod. As the longest-standing community-based preschool in the Town of Harwich, we are proud to offer a nurturing, inclusive environment where children learn, grow, and thrive.

The Children's Center is a self-supporting program of the Harwich Ecumenical Council for the Homeless (HECH), a nonprofit organization founded in 1990 with the mission of providing affordable housing to local families. As HECH worked to help families achieve stability, they recognized that many parents were unable to work because they lacked access to affordable, reliable childcare. In response, The Children's Center was established in 1993 at the First Congregational Church in Harwich Center, providing a safe place for children while their parents worked toward self-sufficiency.

As the need for childcare continued to grow, HECH expanded the program by hiring professional educators and earning state certification as a licensed childcare provider. Over the years, generous community partners—including St. Peter's Lutheran Church, the Unitarian Universalist Church in Brewster, and Stony Brook Elementary School—provided temporary homes that allowed the program to flourish.

In 2005, HECH opened The Children's Center's permanent home on Sisson Road in Harwich Port. Today, our bright and welcoming facility includes two classrooms serving children ages 2 years 9 months through 5 years old. We are open year-round, Monday through Friday, offering both full-day (7:30 AM–4:30 PM) and half-day (8:00 AM–12:00 PM) programs to meet the needs of working families.

Licensed by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), our experienced teachers meet and exceed all state requirements. In addition to our dedicated staff, local volunteers and students from Cape Cod Regional Technical High School, Cape Cod Community College, and Harwich High School help enrich our classrooms and strengthen our connection to the community.

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Our Philosophy

At The Children's Center, we believe every child deserves a safe, caring, and engaging environment where they can develop confidence, curiosity, and a lifelong love of learning.

Our program supports the whole child by focusing on:

• Social and emotional growth
• Language and communication skills
• Cognitive development
• Physical activity and healthy habits
• Independence and self-confidence
• Cooperation, responsibility, and respect for others

Daily outdoor play, hands-on learning experiences, and meaningful peer interactions encourage children to explore, discover, and build the skills they'll carry into kindergarten and beyond.

A Partnership with Families

We believe children thrive when families and educators work together. Our open-door policy welcomes parents and caregivers to visit, volunteer, and actively participate in their child's preschool experience.

Families are asked to support our community by contributing two hours each month through activities such as fundraising, classroom assistance, or school improvement projects. We also ask families to donate classroom supplies, snacks, paper products, or cleaning items each month to help keep our program running smoothly.

Affordable Childcare for Local Families

Remaining true to HECH's original mission, tuition is offered on a sliding scale for income-eligible families, helping make quality early childhood education accessible to more members of our community.

To learn more about enrollment or to join our waitlist, please complete our contact form or call us at (508) 432-0152.