For most of human history, kids raised kids. In the big families that were much more typical only a hundred years ago, big kids took care of the little kids. Now, schools like Decatur Presbyterian Children’s Community are the places where kids grow, as they learn and play together in a large group — once made up of siblings, now their age-cohort peers — nurtured and guided by adults — once parents, now professional teachers.

For the first few years as director with teachers (and now more and more with parents) I like to reflect on this, because it helps us remember how inventive a school like DPCC is; and when we invent things, we’re getting very close to the happiest part of what it means to be human, and (not incidentally), it’s what kids do naturally: they make stuff up.

So, running a school for children with the spirit of childhood is our tried and true formula for deep quality over the last 76 years. Today’s parents echo voices from past decades:

“As first time parents, trying to decide where to place our kids was one of the most daunting decisions we faced. I toured and researched a lot of schools. I knew immediately after attending an open house that DPCC was where I wanted our baby to be. I even pulled her out of another program the second I got the call that we were off the waitlist. We’ve had our children at DPCC since our oldest was in their PMO program.”

“My child’s 3 years at DPCC has been one of the best experiences of my life – and she has loved it as well. She will be graduating kindergarten this year and I will miss this community so much. Would do it over and over and over again if I could.”

“I affectionately refer to DPCC, the school that has become home to our three young children, a ‘love bubble.’ Not only are our kids receiving a wonderful education under the care of the fantastic teachers who work there, but they are loved completely and encouraged to be their own unique selves. The environment is joyful and play-based, as a preschool/kindergarten should be. The school also takes safety extremely seriously, and I know my kids are secure when I drop them off. I am blessed to have found DPCC, and I would encourage anyone to consider sending their small children to this special place. I wish my kids could stay beyond kindergarten!”

Raising children is not getting any easier. For most of human history, life hasn’t changed as much over generations as much as it does now in one — which creates novel challenges about how to parent best. As we head into an ever-uncertain future for our children, DPCC holds fast to truths from a lived past that resonate today in every classroom: play is the best way people (young and old) both learn and grow; and that’s done best in a community like DPCC.

Come see for yourself.