CALIFORNIA CHILD CARE CENTERS WERE ESTABLISHED IN 1943 TO SUPPLY SERVICES TO CHILDREN OF WORKING MOTHERS. THE CHILD CARE PROGRAM PROVIDES, WITHIN NURSERY AND SCHOOLAGE CENTERS, CARE AND EDUCATIONAL SUPERVISION FOR PRESCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN. THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE CHILD CENTER PROGRAM IS BASED UPON THE BELIEF THAT EACH CHILD DESERVES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TOTAL AND FULL DEVELOPMENT. THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROGRAM ARE CHALLENGED TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHICH FOSTERS THE PHYSICAL, MENTAL, EMOTIONAL, AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ALL THE CHILDREN IN THE CENTERS. OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM INCLUDE FOSTERING AND PROTECTING THE CHILD'S PHYSICAL HEALTH, PROMOTING EMOTIONAL STABILITY, ENCOURAGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SELF-IDENTITY, CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH EACH CHILD MAY PARTICIPATE AS AN INDIVIDUAL WITHIN THE GROUP, PROVIDING SOCIAL EXPERIENCES WHICH WILL STIMULATE A SENSE OF PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY AND AN AWARENESS OF THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS, PROVIDING A WIDE RANGE OF CREATIVE EXPERIENCES, ENCOURAGING THE DEVELOPMENT OF LANGUAGE AND CONCEPTUAL SKILLS, HELPING THE CHILD DEVELOP HABITS WHICH LEAD TO EFFECTIVE LEARNING, OOFFERING A VARIETY OF EXPERIENCES THAT WILL SATISFY AND STIMULATE THE CHILD'S CURIOSITY ABOUT THE WORLD AROUND HIM, AND HELPING PARENTS ACHIEVE INCREASED UNDERSTANDING OF CHILDREN AND OF THEIR PARENTAL ROLE. SPECIFIC AREAS OF LEARNING, TEACHING METHODS AND PROCEDURES, MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT, AND EDUCATIONAL VALUES ARE DELINEATED. TWO APPENDIXES DISCUSS THE CONTINUITY OF LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT AND SCIENCE EDUCATION. A BIBLIOGRAPHY IS INCLUDED.