About

We are a care and education facility that is accredited and licensed by the state of Georgia's Bright From The Start program. While we strive to serve the Athens area with the best childcare possible, we put strong emphasis on education through age-appropriate teaching. Our calendar year runs similar to the Clarke County School System calendar. For summer months, we offer a summer day camp during June and July. We believe in the nurturing and encouragement of the whole child; cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and spiritual. We strive to provide a Christian atmosphere, which promotes respect for others and fosters a love for learning. Our staff is CPR and infant/child First Aid certified, and we practice precautionary security procedures routinely.

Overview

T.C.L.C is ministry of Tuckston United Methodist Church, serving as a half-day preschool for over five decades. In 2018, the pastor envisioned expanding services to provide full-day childcare for Athens and nearby counties. After receiving Bright From The Start licensing, we partnered with the state of Georgia and our council to launch an innovative hybrid preschool and daycare program. This unique approach, which emphasizes individualized learning plans for each child and strong family engagement, enabled T.C.L.C. to earn the top Quality Rated score among all Clarke County early childhood programs in January 2026.This recognition highlights T.C.L.C.'s dedication to excellence and ensures that families in the community receive the highest standard of early childhood education. Our mission is to help parents nurture children with strong Christian values and prepare them with essential skills for school readiness. We aim to deliver exceptional early childhood education, supporting the intellectual, physical, social, emotional, and spiritual growth of each child. We appreciate the contributions of our pastor, church council, families, teachers, and children throughout the years, and we thank God for enabling us to serve our community.

Classrooms

We serve children ages 6 weeks to 5 years old. All classrooms are designed and approved by Georgia's Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). QRIS is "a systemic approach to assess, improve, and communicate the level of quality in early and school-aged care and education programs.". This system implements schedules to guide each classroom in age appropriate activities at age-appropriate times throughout the day. All classrooms are staffed according to student/teacher ratios in the Rules & Regulations put in place by Bright From The Start. In accordance with United Methodist Safe Sanctuary practices, the director aims to staff each room with at least two teachers. Teachers utilize Georgia Early Learning and Development Standards (GELDS) and monthly themes to create lesson plans.

Tuition

Registration Fee - $150 (Non-Refundable)

Monthly tuition payments of $750.00 secure your child's full time enrollment in our center regardless of how many days the child attends. A second child’s tuition is discounted 20%. Tuition is due on the 3rd of every month. A $25 late charge is applied when paid after the 3rd.

Leadership

Director: Connie Bowen

Manager: Cheri Smith