About CHEERS

CHEERS is a non-profit organization dedicated to learning, literacy and love. Our mission is to nurture the growth and development of children ages 6 weeks to 12 years old in an enriched and respectful environment. We operate three child care and development centers in Berryville, Virginia and Kearneysville, West Virginia, conveniently located for commuting parents. Our facilities provide children with a whimsical and uniquely child-focused environment, perfect for playing, learning, and having fun!

CHEERS centers provide children a home-away-from home, a School Family with whom they spend their days learning and growing and developing t he skills they need to be successful people, both personally and academically. Our centers are structured to offer children programs that build self-esteem and confidence by being respectful, positive, accepting, and caring. The classroom environments utilize a process-oriented curriculum that meets state standards for early learning, and teachers facilitate the development of life-long learning skills that are especially important for school-age youth making independent decisions on an increasing basis. Brain-based learning techniques emphasize cooperation, connection and non-violence, and establish rituals, routines and reliability to foster a sense of safety.

We welcome you to tour our facilities and see what being a part of our School Family is all about!

Our History

The CHEERS School Family™ is incorporated as a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. It started as a single child development center in 1997 serving 100 children and by January 2005, it was serving close to 300 families in three locations. Some key dates follow:

  • September, 1997 – The Heritage Child Development Center (HCDC) opened in the Grace Episcopal Church Parish Hall serving 24 children while the building was under construction.
  • June, 1998 – Heritage opened the new building with a capacity of 100 children,
  • June, 2001 – Heritage expanded to a second site for its school-age program, The Clubhouse, serving 35 children.
  • April, 2002 – The Children First Child Development Center (CFCDC) opened as a “sister center” in Kearneysville, WV, serving another 100 children.
  • December 2004 – The final documents were signed by the respective Boards of Directors to legally merge the two organizations. The two organizations would collectively serve 247 children between the ages of six weeks and 12 years.
  • January, 2005 – The Heritage Clubhouse expands into a second building at its site, bringing the Clubhouse capacity to 63 children and the CHEERS School Family™ to 275 children, with expansion capacity of a half-day program to 295 children.

Both HCDC and CFCDC were founded by area businesses and individuals committed to bringing quality child care to the rural communities. Without their commitment of time, talent and resources the child development centers would not exist.

Our Management Structure

A Board of Directors determines all financial, legal, and corporate policies and decisions. An Executive Director oversees the senior management of the centers and serves on the Board as well as an Early Childhood Specialist who works with the Centers to identify and support any children with special needs. Each center has parent representation on the Board, as well as equitable representation from the Virginia and West Virginia communities.

A Site Supervisor handles the day-to-day operations at the Centers and manages a staff consisting of an administrative assistant, a cook, Teachers, Assistant Teachers, and Aides. A School-Age Coordinator manages The Clubhouse location.

Parent Involvement Committee (PIC)

Parents at the Centers are encouraged to become members of the Parent Involvement Committee. The Site Supervisors hold monthly parent meetings to coordinate programs such as parent participation, fund-raising, and special parent or staff events. Parents are invited to get involved in sub-committees as well.