Trust The Creative Early Learning Family


Our Story

For over 50 years, Creative Early Learning Center Childcare & Preschool has helped children grow and develop through a world of discovery. We respect each child's individuality and strive to foster an atmosphere of caring and trust. Our childcare center is family owned and operated. All who attend our programs will feel welcome, at home, and part of our family.



Our teachers have early childhood education degrees and extensive experience working with children and families. We hire only the best, and it shows in everything we do! Our preschool programs provide kindergarten readiness, giving your child an educational advantage. What sets us apart is what we like to call the Creative Difference. Our comprehensive academic programs extend beyond our doors and into your home. You will find that the Creative Difference we offer creates in your child an intense curiosity and enthusiasm to learn about the world around them.

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Our Philosophy


We believe in developmental learning conducted at a pace that supports each child's needs and interests in a safe and nurturing atmosphere. Our learning programs are structured with individual differences and developmentally appropriate practices in mind. We believe in hands-on learning incorporating Montessori school activities, focusing on social, emotional, intellectual, and physical needs. We are committed to working with parents and teachers to benefit the child. You can trust our creative team to do our very best to uncover the talents in your child at daycare!

Children Learn Best 

  • Through play
  • When their interests are honored
  • When they are respected and heard at daycare
  • Through exposure to plants, animals, and nature

Children Do Best 

  • When their emotions and feelings are acknowledged
  • When they can express their unique qualities at daycare
  • When they have permission to make mistakes and learn from them
  • When they can make discoveries on their own through some Montessori school activities

Creative Legacy

In 1962, our founder, Jean Pedone, opened the doors of a co-op preschool program in a church in Garfield Heights, Ohio. She was a pioneer and avid storyteller whose passion was working with and educating children. Jean started this preschool program with just a few students. Who could have imagined this program would blossom into three state-of-the-art Creative Early Learning Centers run by the same caring and loving family?


Jean was a risk-taker. When she realized there were no quality preschool programs in the community, she set to work to make a difference and started an

agenda of her own. Jean made sure her children had exposure to the arts, including drama, music, dance, and storytelling. These crucial components of teaching children have carried through until today and can be found throughout Creative's comprehensive curriculum.


As her program grew, so did the demand for daycare for children of all ages. Jean listened, and with the help of her daughter, Debbie, they opened one of the first child development centers in Northeast Ohio, and the Creative Early Learning Center was established.


Today, Jean's family, including children Tom and Debbie along with grandchildren Brian and Ashley, work closely together to lead teams of knowledgeable teachers in continuing to educate the youth by delivering on Jean's original philosophies: to provide age-appropriate activities that promote emotional, intellectual, social, and physical growth in child development.


Children at Creative Early Learning Center are given many opportunities to explore their environment, manipulate objects, creatively use materials, and have lots and lots of fun! There is now three "Step Up to Quality" Creative Early Learning Center child development and preschool centers serving various communities in Northeast Ohio. We look forward to continuing our work as your local, family-owned childcare and preschool specialists.


Jean's Creative legacy continues each year as more children and families benefit from the Creative Difference offered by Creative Early Learning Center Child Care & Preschool. A member of the fourth generation of our family has recently joined this path and is currently enrolled in our Cuddle Bugs Toddler program.

Step Up to Quality

We understand that high-quality learning is essential to you and your family, and we know that your child's earliest experiences last a lifetime. This is why we take pride in maintaining a Step Up to Quality level for your family. Your child has 1,892 days from the day they are born until they enter kindergarten. What happens on this journey lays the foundation for success in school and life. 


You can be sure that Creative Early Learning Center Child Care & Preschool will provide a learning and development program whose quality exceeds Ohio's daycare licensing standards. Enrolling your child with us is the right decision.


Our Step Up to Quality program follows the state of Ohio's highest level of standards. Not only have we met all of the requirements and standards for Ohio childcare, but we have also exceeded these standards and achieved a higher level of learning. CELC day care programs have superior values, goals, and structure. Below are some of the ways we provide an increased level of quality.


Lower staff/child ratios: Teachers have more time to support your child's individual development and learning. This is important because 90% of brain development occurs when your child is six years old.


The administrator and teachers have higher education qualifications: The administrator and most teachers have a bachelor's or master's degree and many years of experience working with young children. These qualifications benefit your kid's development and learning. Higher education helps kids with learning disabilities.


The administrator and teachers complete more than 20 hours of specialized training every two years: The administrator and daycare teaching staff are committed to expanding their education and skills to support your child's development and learning better.


Teachers develop lesson plans that support each child's growth: Teachers plan intentional and purposeful activities and experiences that meet children's needs, interests, and abilities and help them where they are in their development. 


The program completes assessments to evaluate and improve the learning experience: Regular assessments are done with your child to help keep track of their growth over time. This lets teachers adjust how they offer experiences to their kids daily and can provide an individual plan for children with learning disabilities.


The program values its families and community: We work with families and neighborhood organizations to provide more opportunities for kids in and out of daycare.


To learn more about the Step Up to Quality program and how it can help kids with learning disabilities, click here.

Creative Care


We provide community-related resources and services to our families and children through our connections with local community groups, businesses, cultural organizations, colleges, high schools, and local school districts. We give to those in need through various hunger, toy, and book drives. Parent donations are always welcome and appreciated, as there is always a child in need, and we are experts at uncovering how to help. If you want to learn more about how we can help you, don't hesitate to contact one of our nearby daycare locations. Any information you provide is always kept strictly confidential. We support the environment and always strive to be eco-friendly and reuse. We proudly participate in a city recycling initiative at our Twinsburg childcare location.

Parent Partnership

Parent participation is crucial to a child's school experience. At Creative Early Learning Center, we provide many parent partnership possibilities and strive to create mutual respect and trust between parents and teachers. Parents are the most important educators of their children, so parent involvement is embedded in our program philosophy. We honor each family's diverse culture and work with families to provide a home-like atmosphere for the children in our school. We respect parents' perspectives and involve them in every aspect of our program. We view parents as partners, collaborators, and advocates, and we genuinely believe that "it takes a village to raise a child."

  • Open Door Policy

    We always have an open-door policy with parents. Parents are welcome to visit or call their child anytime without feeling intruding in the classroom. We encourage parents to spend time in the school during drop-off and pick-up time to create a more seamless transition.

  • Communication

    Our communication practices at CELC are diverse and varied to ensure you promptly get the information you need. We inform parents about their child's development through scheduled phone calls, progress reports, parent-teacher conferences, postcards, newsletters, and social media.

  • Brightwheel

    Brightwheel is a digital application accessible on smartphones, tablets, and computers. It is becoming a cornerstone of our parent communication process, enabling us to offer digital check-in, daily reports, photo updates, photo sharing, parent correspondence platforms, and observation options.

  • Parent Postcards

    In addition to monthly newsletters, our Innovations Curriculum features postcards as natural extensions of our classroom activities and experiences. They provide valuable information from experts on a variety of child development topics.

  • Documentation

    We make learning visible in our classrooms by providing parents with visual displays documenting learning experiences via photos, work samples, and child development information.

  • Volunteering

    The children love for parents to read, share their experiences and careers, or teach a skill. We have regular parties and field trips which parents can attend as helpers or chaperones.

  • Planning Partners

    Parents provide valuable feedback and assessment information that helps teachers create experiences, environments, and interactions to benefit the child. Parents complete regular developmental assessments every few months to provide updated information.

  • Feedback

    We gain information on their ideas and opinions and use this information to shape our program policies and offerings.

  • Special Events

    Creative Early Learning Center hosts frequent celebrations and special events, including holidays, birthdays, graduations, and more.

  • Transition Process

    We know that each family's needs are different and adjust accordingly to provide the most seamless transition possible.

  • Family Resources

    Our centers have dedicated family resource areas with flyers, pamphlets, and necessary forms for immediate reference. If families are looking for a service or trying to gain information, we help them make connections to get what they need.

  • Parent Education Classes

    Just as children constantly learn, parents and teachers benefit form a belief in the power of lifelong learning.

  • Donation of Materials

    Classroom projects often require using found, recyclable, or unique materials. We welcome donations that can help make these projects a reality. The donation process is reciprocal, as we also find ways to use our surplus of materials.

  • Take Home Opportunities

    While our teachers don't assign typical homework, we find ways to connect what is learned in the classroom to a child's experiences at home. We send materials home with the children and welcome them to bring them in. 

We Make Connections with Our Families Through 

  • Regular invitations to our classrooms.
  • Conversation at student arrival and departure.
  • Daily logs and reflection.
  • Regular communication via emails, texts, and our newsletter.
  • Social Media.
  • Private communication and classroom updates from our Brightwheel app.

Awesome Teachers

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Why wait any longer? Request a tour (330) 487-5437.