The Fayetteville State University Early Childhood Learning Center, a child development and early childhood education center serving children from three (3) years through five years of age, is under the direction of the School of Education. It was established in the Fall of 1970 to provide early childhood education majors an opportunity to become familiar with young children and their characteristics, and to enable the translation of theoretical concepts into practical application. In addition to being a center for the training of early childhood personnel, the Early Childhood Learning Center also has as one of its goals to provide a learning environment that will help young children develop to their maximum potential physically, intellectually, socially and emotionally.

The Early Childhood Learning Center serves not only the University, but the Fayetteville community as well, through its acceptance of children of either sex, children from any ethnic or religious orientation and children with mildly handicapping physical and mental conditions.

The Cumberland County Department of Social Service Day Care unit refers as many of its Day Care applicants as space permits. The Developmental Evaluation Center refers children to the Center on an individual basis.

The Early Childhood Learning Center will be extending its services by including the Infant/Toddler Program. The Infant/Toddler Program will be serving children from six weeks to 2 years old. The Infant/Toddler Program will have a nurturing, loving and appropriately challenging environment.  In such an environment, children will learn to trust and joyfully explore their surroundings.

The More At Four Program was started in August 2003.  Eligibility for this program is: child must be 4 by October 16th of the current year, family gross income and service priority.  It is a state-funded, community based pre-kindergarten program administered by the Partnership for Children of Cumberland County.  This service is provided at no cost to eligible families.  The More At Four is a high quality early childhood learning environment for children with developmental, social, and family risk factors that may affect their success in school.

The Early Childhood Learning Center is currently housed in the Lauretta Taylor Building. We look forward to moving into our newly renovated facility (Lauretta Taylor Building) in the very near future.