The purpose of the Family Cooperative is to serve the children of the faculty of BB&N as well as other educators in our area, in an inclusive, enriching, and nurturing educational environment. It is our mission to care for and educate children through engaging in an emergent, child-centered curriculum in a cooperative setting that supports strong parental involvement. The goals of our curricular practices are to facilitate children's relationships within the community, explorations of their environment, and investigations of the world. We strive to support children's independence, empathy, and intellectual curiosity. Our philosophy is based on the concept of an emergent, child-centered, developmentally appropriate practice, inspired by the Reggio Emilia early childhood centers. We work toward fostering the social, emotional, physical, and cognitive needs of children by taking the time to develop a unique relationship with each family and each child that comes to our center. It is important to us to create a nurturing, safe environment that serves as an extension of the home. Each piece of the child's life, family, environment, school, peers, and teachers, engage in powerful conversations with each other, creating a coherent, integrated learning model throughout the life of the child. The Family Cooperative has a particular vision of the child as a competent, creative thinker who actively engages in the process of making meaning about the world. Each aspect of the curriculum relates to this child and emerges out of the interests and pursuits of the children themselves.