Frequently asked questions

Q. What are your hours?

We’re open from 7 a.m. – 6:30 p.m. Monday-Friday year-round, excluding holidays (New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas).

The Infant and Toddler program for children from 6 weeks - 3 year olds opens from 7 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

The PreK classes begin at 8:15 a.m. and end at 3:55 p.m. Breakfast is served in the classroom from 7:45 a.m. - 8:15 a.m.

The Moody Early Childhood Center runs an extended day program for students who attend PreK3 and Galveston I.S.D. PreK4 programs. The program begins after school and ends at 6:30 p.m.

Q. Are you taking enrollment applications now?

Yes. Click here for current enrollment information: ENROLL.

Q. Do you have after-school care? Summer school?

Moody Early Childhood Center operates year-round. Our infants and toddlers spend the same amount of time with us as they would at a traditional childcare center, and our preschoolers attend during district school hours with the option to stay at the Center for extended day programming and fun.

Q. Tell me about class sizes and tuition.

Tuition is on a sliding scale based on the child’s age and the family’s income. We encourage every interested family, no matter their financial situation, to sign up and we’ll do our best to accommodate them. We're able to do this because we’re a non-profit organization with major funding from the Moody Foundation.

Class sizes, ratios, tuition

  • 6 weeks to 11 months
    • 1 adult for up to every 4 children
    • 3 classrooms
    • 24 children total
  • 12 months to 17 months
    • 1 adult for up to every 4 children
    • 3 classrooms
    • 24 children total
  • 18 months to 23 months
    • 1 adult for up to every 5 children
    • 2 classrooms
    • 20 children total
  • 24-30 months
    • 1 adult for up to every 6 children
    • 2 classrooms
    • 24 children total
  • 30 months+
    • 1 adult for up to 8 children
    • 3 classrooms
    • 45 students total
  • PreK 3
    • 1 adult for up to 8 children
    • 14 classrooms
    • 200 students total

*Students may qualify for free services if they meet PreK eligibility requirements

For those families requesting financial assistance, the Moody Early Childhood Center collaborates with Gulf Coast Workforce Solutions to offer childcare assistance. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION.

Q. Who is eligible to enroll at the Center?

All Galveston families with children from 6 weeks old to 3 years old are welcome to apply, no matter their household income. Moody Early Childhood Center is a non-profit organization committed to giving every Galveston child the opportunity to reach his or her full potential.

Q. How will families be involved?

A parent is a child’s first teacher, and we want to support you in that endeavor! To that end, we ask that you always help your child in the best way you know how to help him/her to learn. We also ask that you make yourself available to your child and the school and that you work with us to address any concerns. You’ll meet regularly with teachers to discuss your child’s progress. We have family advocates on staff to help families access community resources and provide a parent room with a computer lab.

Q. Are the Center’s teachers certified?

Our teachers are highly qualified. All of our teachers have formal training with a 2-year associate degree in child development, a Bachelor of Arts in education and/or higher levels of training. We believe a background in child development is an important foundation for creating safe, stimulating and healthy spaces for our children.

Q. How does the Center support learning?

At the Center children learn the building blocks for a successful education in reading, math and science, plus important emotional and social skills. We celebrate the magic of childhood – the wonder in exploring the playground and the joy of building sandcastles – while introducing our students to words, colors and numbers. We make learning fun!

Q. Do you test kids at such a young age?

We believe in following the progress of each child to ensure that they are thriving. But don’t worry – this doesn’t mean we ask our 3-year-olds to take multiple-choice tests or to sit at a desk for hours with a paper test. Rather, we follow the developmental goals of each child and assess them through play activities. In the same way that you know your child is great at identifying animal sounds but stumbles with colors sometimes, our teachers pay careful attention to how much each child is learning so that they can support kids in all that they do. Our goal is to have every child enter kindergarten ready to succeed in school and in life.

Q. What’s the Center’s outdoor policy?

Children of all ages need fresh air, exercise and a break from the indoor classroom. The Center has an outdoor play area specially designed for young children.

Q. What else makes the Center unique?

We offer services that most preschool or day care centers don’t, including family advocates to help families access community resources and strengthen parenting skills and a computer lab for parents. We have a therapy room with certified staff for children who need individual training such as speech therapy.