In the past decade we’ve witnessed an evolution in daycare design.  Gone are the days of institutional environments with white walls, boxy interiors, and cold, hard furniture.  We now understand that it’s not just about form and function, but it’s about using color, light, shape and texture to create a harmonious, balanced environment.  

At the same time, we’ve also made strides in health, safety and ergonomics, creating a safe environment that is conducive to learning.  These are just a few of the factors that play vital roles in child development.  

Putting together all of these elements can be a challenge for even the most seasoned educator.  Luckily, resources abound, and many wonderful books on early learning environments provide a wealth of information.

As part of our commitment to quality early learning environments, we’ve put together some basic information and resource listings.  Whether you’re planning a new facility or remodeling an existing one, we hope you find the information useful.  As always, we welcome your feedback.

The first item to explore is designing a child care environment. What makes a safe environment?  What makes a learning environment?  Whose needs should be considered in the design of a facility?  Who should be involved?  We turned to a leading design firm for some inside information on Designing a Child Care Facility.

 Now that you're familiar with some of the ABC's of design, what about the child care environment?  What makes a healthy environment that facilitates learning?  Let's take a look at the Child Care Environment.

Armed with a better understanding of some of the basics of child care environment, it's worth a few minutes to explore two often asked-about areas:  ergonomics and furniture emissions.

Designing a child care facility is not an easy task.  And designing a facility that works is even more difficult.  By bringing together some of the basic elements, we hope that we have brought to light not only the issues, but some solutions as well.