General Info

In 1970 a group of Middlebury residents decided that the community needed a safe supportive program for the children of families who needed to work outside of the home. They wanted to ensure that children, particularly the children of struggling single mothers, were being well cared for.Today that program, Mary Johnson Children's Center, is a leader in early childhood education both in the county and in the state. The Center is home to several programs which support children and families. Reflecting the goals of its founders, the Center strives to meet the needs of working families who use the Center and who represent the economic and cultural diversity of our community.As a school, we believe in making visible and giving voice to the rich potential and talent of children, and in the right of all children to have an environment where this talent and potential is respected and nourished. In 1970 a group of concerned Middlebury residents decided the community needed a safe, supportive program for the children of families who need to work outside the home. They wanted to ensure that children, particularly the children of struggling single mothers were being well cared for. The Middlebury Day Care Center was created as one of the earliest full day, full year programs for working parents in Vermont. Now known as Mary Johnson Childrens Center, the Center also houses several other programs which support children and families; remaining true to the goals of its founders, the renovated and expanded building reflects our belief in the importance of beauty, light and natural materials in the surroundings and lives of young children. The families who use the center represent the range of economic diversity found in our community.Nestled in the historic district of the shire town of Middlebury at the base of the Green mountains, and near Otter Creek and its falls, we take much of our inspiration from our natural surroundings, from the local culture, and the state identity. We ar