York JCC York Jewish
Community Center

Our program offers the York community several options for structured early childhood classrooms:

School for the Early Years
Ages 2 – 5, provides care from 9:00 to 11:30 AM during normal school year months

Lunch and Learn
Offers afternoon programming from 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM for ages 3 – 5

Early Years Discovery Camp 
9:00 – 11:30 AM or 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM
A summer camp for children ages 3 to 6 years old, June through August

Child Care Program 
For ages 3 to 5 years; offers a full-day, full-year care and education program with a full-day schedule during the summer

School-Age Child Care 
Begins at 6:30 AM for before school care.
After school care begins at 3:00 PM and ends at 5:30 PM.

Our Early Childhood Education Program seeks to provide an educational environment that fosters each child’s self-image, curiosity to learn about the world, and confidence in his or her developing physical, intellectual, and social skills.

Our intent is not to teach a selection of specific skills in preparation for the academic world of the elementary school. Rather, it is to instill in children an image of themselves as capable learners. It is to provide each child an environment rich in possibilities for child-initiated and directed, teacher supported learning, through active exploration and play.

At the JCC, we believe that the best preparation for the academic work of the years ahead begins in an early program that nurtures children, reinforces their natural disposition to ask questions and find answers, and strengthens children’s ability to function as both strong individuals and as caring members of a child-sized community.

The JCC opened its first nursery school program in 1951, and in 1989, the JCC moved to its present building. With this move, we renamed our program, JCC School for the Early Years.

In 1998, we opened a second wing to our early childhood hallway with 3 more classrooms. These rooms housed our child care children, ages 18 months through 5 years.

In 2015, we added an additional 4 classrooms and a motor skills room which allowed for 55 more children. We currently care for approximately 185 children in our ECE Program.

In 2022, our Gan Tamar Campus offers care for children ages 3 – 5 years old in 9 classrooms.

Our Early Childhood Education (ECE) program is staffed by a committed team of early childhood professionals.

Head Teachers in each classroom are degreed at either the Bachelor’s or Master’s level. Assistant Teachers must work towards a minimum of the Child Development Associate Degree within a year of joining our staff. Many Assistant Teachers hold degrees beyond this entry level. All teachers understand the importance of working closely with families and of meeting the emotional and educational needs of individual children.

Recognizing that the quality of our program rests to a large extent on our staff, we recruit individuals with a strong interest in supporting the growth and development of the school-age child. All staff is screened with a Pennsylvania Police Record, a Child Abuse Clearance, and an FBI clearance.

Staff complete at least 24 hours of training annually on such topics as child development, age-appropriate program and activity planning, and effective guidance for school-age children. The staff has regular meetings with the Director to review program policies, children’s behavior, and current trends. In addition, staff receives annual training on Pediatric first aid, CPR and child abuse prevention.

For more information on our policies, a copy of our Family Handbook is available for currently enrolled families.

Program Operation

The Child Care program is a full day, full-year program for children ages 3 – 5.

Located at:

Gan Tamar Campus: 2000 Hollywood Drive, York, PA 17403

Opening and Closing Information

Our childhood wing opens at 6:30 AM and closes at 5:30 PM.

Wait List Information

Click Here – PDF for Child Care Waitlist Application and Frequently Asked Questions.

The JCC School for the Early Years provides children ages 2 – 5 years with an environment rich in possibilities for child-initiated, child-directed, teacher-supported learning through active exploration and play.

Our School for the Early Years (SFEY) offers socialization and education for your preschooler in the morning (and now in the afternoon too) while our Lunch and Learn for 3 – 5 year olds provides afternoon fun and enrichment.

The school program runs from the end of August until the last week of May. The school doors open at 8:50 AM and school starts at 9:00 AM with staggered dismissals to alleviate congestion in the School Commons area at pick up time.
2’s dismiss at 11:15 AM
3’s, 4’s, and 5’s at 11:30 AM

Located at:

Gan Tamar Campus: 2000 Hollywood Drive, York, PA 17403

Annual tuition is broken down into monthly payments and varies, based on age and member status. Contact ECEAdminAssist@yorkjcc.org to learn more about tuition.

Wait List Information

Click Here – PDF for Preschool Wait List Application and Frequently Asked Questions