Southside Early Childhood Center

SouthSide Early Childhood Center was founded in 1886 by 15 forward-thinking Unitarian women who recognized the need for quality childcare for the children of the working poor in South St. Louis city. Today, 136 years later, SouthSide's mission remains the same as we continue to serve the children and families of South City. Currently, 80% of our children come from families with low incomes, with 20% of those being immigrant families. Ultimately, our work aims to ensure the second generation will not live in poverty.

We put our mission into action through our four pillars of education, health, connection, and thought leadership. Our education pillar includes high quality, research-based instruction that is full-day. Children are assessed and teachers set individual goals to meet all developmental milestones to ensure kindergarten readiness. Our health pillar focuses on physical and mental health. We provide hearing and vision screenings and dental check-ups. Our case workers help parents and children identify and address mental health issues and or developmental delays. Through our connection pillar we offer case management, parenting classes, and other opportunities for family engagement. Our thought leadership pillar is centered on increasing investment in early childhood education at a local and state level.