College Benefits

WELLESLEY COLLEGE & BABSON COLLEGE AFFILIATED FAMILY BENEFITS

  • Enrollment priority for any open spaces at the Early Childhood and After School programs.
  • $75 application fee waived.
  • Private tour of the Early Childhood Program facility
  • Early acceptance for college affiliated applicants
  • Wellesley College affiliated families receive needs based financial aid(Wellesley College allocates $40,000 annually to assist families with tuition payments)

HISTORY

WCCC’s Early Childhood Program’s purpose-built building was constructed in 1988 as a result of collaboration between Babson College, Wellesley College, and WCCC. Due to this collaboration, two-thirds of available slots are first offered to employees and full-time students of Wellesley and Babson colleges and one-third to community members from Massachusetts towns.

To learn more about college priorities and our enrollment process, please contact Assistant Director Paula Dolan  781-235-7667 or ecpenrollment@wcccwellesley.org 

APPLICATION PROCESS

Each year, we begin accepting applications on September 15 for the following September. Please note that we waive the $75 application fee for Wellesley College and Babson College affiliated applicants.

We use the applications as our waiting list in the event that someone leaves during the year. 

Spaces for the following September will be offered in January or February to the general public. We make every effort to offer spaces to college affiliated families in advance of the general enrollment process.

ECP Application 2025-2026

Please mail the application and application fee (check) to WCCC:
Wellesley Community Children’s Center (attn: Paula Dolan)
Wellesley College
106 Central Street
Wellesley, MA  02481

Your canceled check will serve as confirmation that your application was received.  Please note that in  September, at the start of our new school year, it may take up to two weeks to process your application fee check.

TOURS

We set up a few enrollment Zoom meetings throughout the year to talk about the program, answer questions and show families  a video about our school.  College families are welcome to join the Administrators for any Prospective Parent Zoom Meeting.

Assistant Director Paula Dolan will schedule a time for an in person private tour and individual Q & A session with all college affiliated families.

See our Virtual Meeting page for dates.

ENROLLMENT

We have two Infant, two Toddler, and four Preschool Classrooms in which children are generally placed by chronological age. Children remain in their classrooms for the entire school year with the same group of children and teachers.

In the Infant and Toddler rooms, there are 2, 3, or 5-day options for enrollment. In the preschool rooms, the options are 3, 4,or 5 days.

Please note that WCCC is a twelve(12) month program.

CONTRACTS

Upon acceptance into the program, families sign a contract that is in effect until the end of the school year in late August. Currently, WCCC requires a non-refundable deposit of $300 when contracts are signed.

TUITION

WCCC’s annual tuition is divided into 12 monthly payments due on the first of each month.

FINANCIAL AID

Wellesley College provides $40,000 in financial aid to college employees whose children are enrolled at the Early Childhood Program. The application process is confidential.  Applications are reviewed by the Executive Director and the Financial Aid Committee.

PARENT TESTAMONIALS

The unwavering support of WCCC has been a cornerstone in my academic journey at Babson College. From the time my son was eight months old, their exemplary care has granted me the peace of mind to fully immerse myself in my teaching and research roles. The year-round program has been instrumental in enabling uninterrupted dedication to my research.

As my son approaches his “graduation” from WCCC to kindergarten next year, I am filled with gratitude. WCCC has imbued him with robust social-emotional skills and instilled a fervent curiosity for learning that I am confident will serve him well in the years to come. 

Furthermore, WCCC’s influence extends beyond immediate care; it has acted as a nexus for fostering camaraderie and collaboration. Through my engagement with WCCC, I’ve cultivated meaningful relationships with colleagues from Babson and other institutions, enhancing my professional sphere and deepening personal ties. In fact, colleagues at Babson, whose children attended WCCC—even those who graduated decades ago—uniformly reflect warmly and fondly on their own experiences. 

Dr. Amanda Weirup
Assistant Professor of Management, Babson College

The first piece of advice I received from my colleagues shortly after accepting the job offer from Babson was to get on the waiting list for WCCC as soon as possible. I’m grateful for that guidance. My older son, Brandon, began his journey at WCCC two years ago in the blue room, subsequently transitioning to the purple room, and currently thriving in the orange room. Observing his joyful growth and development at WCCC has been an absolute delight.

Just last month, my younger son, Ashton, started in the infant room. On the first day of school, my wife and I were understandably anxious, but it quickly became apparent that our worry was unnecessary; Ashton truly adored the school. Children are remarkably honest in expressing their feelings, and his daily smiles confirm his deep affection for WCCC.

What warms my heart each day is seeing those smiles on my kids’ faces as I pick them up. WCCC’s teachers and staff are nothing short of rock stars. They approach their roles with empathy, patience, and provide exceptional care for our children. Knowing that my kids are in such capable hands brings me peace of mind and allows me to concentrate on my work during the day. WCCC has become an integral part of our family’s journey, and we couldn’t be happier with our choice.

Linghang Zeng
Assistant Professor of Finance, Babson College

I have had two children attend WCCC. My older daughter attended preschool at WCCC for 2 years before starting Kindergarten this year, and my younger daughter is beginning her first year here in Infant 2. Having my two children be able to attend WCCC has been a real privilege and a very special feature of my employment at Wellesley. The care, education and community at WCCC is unparalleled and has benefitted my children so much. Having my girls on campus with me is also great for convenience of drop offs and pick up, peace of mind, and the joy of getting to see them on campus when they venture out on their walks. It has also contributed to my feeling of community as a staff member at Wellesley, as I’ve been able to make connections with other WCCC parents on campus who I wouldn’t have met otherwise. With child care so difficult to find and sustain these days, having WCCC right down the path and knowing my girls are thriving there has been invaluable to my family. I appreciate that as a staff member I was able to jump to the front of the waiting list for this program. The only area I see for improvement is the accessibility of the tuition, as it is a reach for our family and I know many fellow staff members who are unable to consider sending their children here due to the cost. It would be wonderful if more of my colleagues were able to take advantage of the high quality and convenient childcare we have right here on campus. I feel so lucky that my children have been able to benefit from this opportunity.

Anne Beckley
Senior Gardens Horticulturist, Wellesley College

TRANSITION

Teachers and parents partner together to help make each child’s transition into the program as smooth as possible. Our typical transition plan includes the following:

School Visit with Primary Teacher

Prior to the first day of school, each child’s primary teacher will reach out to parents to set up a time to visit their new classroom and learn more about each child and their family.

Transition Book

Each classroom makes a transition book which will include teacher and classroom photos so parents and children can ‘read’ about their future classrooms and see photos of their teachers.

Staggered Start to New School Year

In order to facilitate the connection between teachers and children and ease the transition to a new classroom, we have a gradual transition for the first two days of school. We split each classroom in half so that half of the group attends school on Tuesday and the other half on Wednesday.  Beginning the Thursday after Labor Day, all children are welcome to attend on their scheduled days.  Siblings will have the same transition day schedule.

Administration Parent Welcome Meeting

Typically takes place during the evening in mid-September.

Parent/Teacher Back to School Night

Typically takes place during the evening in mid-September.

Fall Family Social Gathering

At the end of the school day, we gather in the school outdoor spaces while children socialize with friends and parents begin to make connections with other families and teachers.