ABOUT US
Your Child is in Great Hands
HISTORY
The Melrose Day Care Center, Inc. (MDCC) was founded in 1971 by a group of citizens from Melrose including members of the First Congregational Church, who were instrumental in setting aside space in the new church building for a daycare center, which would serve the whole community.
Amy Spollett identified a need for childcare in the Melrose community. She recruited Janet Runge to help her establish MDCC. MDCC has grown and evolved from their vision in 1971, but we wouldn't be here today without those forward thinkers. Amy passed in 2015, after serving on MDCC's Board of Directors for 35 years. Janet still serves on MDCC's Board of Directors.
PHILOSOPHY
MDCC's mission is to provide the highest quality early childhood care and resources to all our children and families. We work in close partnership with the parents, staff and the communities we passionately serve to create a loving, welcoming, warm, safe and supportive environment.
MDCC serves the needs of every child by promoting their social, emotional, physical language and cognitive development to enable them to reach their fullest potential to become the very best they can be.
OUR JOURNEY
Only non-profit in Melrose; expands to include 3 infants & 6 toddlers.
The center gets a new playground!
3rd toddler room opens; center reaches full capacity.
1971
1989
1997
2006
2012
2013
2020
MDCC was founded and opened with a capacity of 40 preschoolers.
First center in Melrose to receive NAEYC accreditation.
Assigned Level 2 QRIS recognition and opens its 2nd infant room.
The center joins the Melrose compost program and starts gardening.
ACCREDITATION
NAEYC
In 1997, MDCC became the first center in Melrose to receive NAEYC accreditation.
What is NAEYC? The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is a professional membership organization that works to promote high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8, by connecting early childhood practice, policy, and research. The association comprises nearly 60,000 individual members of the early childhood community and more than 50 Affiliates, all committed to delivering on the promise of high-quality early learning.
QRIS
QRIS: At MDCC, we strive for continuous quality improvement. We were assigned Level 2 QRIS recognition in 2013.
What is a QRIS? A QRIS is a systemic approach to assess, improve and communicate the level of quality in early and school-age care and education programs. QRIS awards quality ratings to early and school-age care and education programs that meet a set of defined program standards.