Where Children Learn Through Play
Joy Picus Child Development Center
The Joy Picus Child Development Center is located in the Downtown Los Angeles Civic Center area. Our center first opened its doors in 1989. In 1996, the center was dedicated to past council member Joy Picus, whose dedication to young children pioneered the first childcare center that was to provide child care services to city employees.
Hours & Schedule
Regular Operation Hours are Mon - Fri: 6:30 am - 6:00 pm
This center is open year round excluding weekends and major holidays.
All programs are full-day:
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Full-time schedule is 5-day attendance; Mon. - Fri.
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Part-time schedule is available depending on availability.
Tours are available by appointment only please call (213) 978-0026
We are a National Association for the Education of Young Children Accredited Center for over 10 years! Our program offers high-quality learning environments that follow the 10 Standards of NAEYC (NAEYC ID#275820)
GUIDING PRINCIPLES
Relationships are the foundation for collaboration, building partnerships and developing community with others. Positive relationships between children and adults are essential for the development of a child’s sense of self, fostering their capacity for self-regulation, learning how to interact with others, and making friends.
Responsiveness to individuals is key to building trust and relationships.
Family and community partnerships create meaningful connections for adults and children and offer invitations for learning about ourselves, others, and the world.
Play is the context in which children learn and develop. As children engage in play with the support of attentive and observant early educators, they can extend their ideas and discoveries into formal education in developmentally appropriate ways.
Anti-Bias Education involves creating a community that supports all dimensions of human differences, including culture, race, language, ability, learning styles, ethnicity, family structure, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age, and socioeconomic differences. Diversity occurs when children's lives are reflected and shared responsibly in the classroom.
Infant & Toddler Program
Responsive Care and Support
The infant and toddler program follows the primary caregiver model, creating a secure and caring environment for the child. The focus of the infant program is to observe and support the development of essential milestones and provide a safe and secure environment that encourages positive and healthy growth.
Infant Room
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Infant room is for children 6 weeks old to steady walkers
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4:1 Teacher/Child ratio
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Capacity: 12
Toddler Room
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Toddler room is for steady walkers up to children 24 months old
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Toddlers: 4:1 Teacher/Child ratio
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Capacity: 12
Facility License #: 198015240
Preschool Program
Emergent Curriculum Based Learning
In our classrooms teachers and children work together as co-learners and co-constructors of curriculum – the teachers are learning about the children, their needs, and learning styles through observation and documentation, as the children are learning through play, interaction with others and engagement with materials. This process of children’s learning is called Emergent Curriculum. This community style of learning is built on the development theories, research, and work of Erik Erickson, Arnold Gesell, Maria Montessori, John Dewey, and Louis Malaguzzi. Emergent Curriculum allows the early educator to respond to children’s interests in a developmentally appropriate manner which best meets young children’s ever-changing needs and builds on children’s strengths and passions.
The purpose of the written curriculum plan is two-fold: it documents the learning as it progresses, and it ensures that the educator is intentional in planning the week’s activities. Those activities should, by definition, maximize children’s acquisition of desired knowledge and skills and offer opportunities for children to learn through play. Structured activities, whether tailored to an individual or to the group, are to be designed according to the particular children’s developmental needs and interests.
Emergent curriculum comes from (1) Children’s interests; (2) Teachers’ interests; (3) Developmental tasks; (4) Things in the physical environment; (5) People in the social environment; (6) Curriculum resource materials; (7) Serendipity – unexpected events; (8) Living together – conflict resolution, caregiving, and routines; and (8) Values held in school and in the community, family, and culture.
Preschool 1 Room
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Children ages 2 to 3 years old
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10:1 Teacher/ Child ratio
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​Capacity: 24
Preschool 2 Room
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Children ages 3.5 to 5 years old
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Must be 3 yrs old by Sept. 1st
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10:1 Teacher/ Child ratio
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Capacity: 24
Facility License #: 198015239
Tuition Rates
Additional Fees
Enrollment Fee (one-time): $200.00
Annual Material Fee: $250.00
Enrollment Priority:
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Employees of the City of Los Angeles
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Employees of Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)
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Families with enrolled siblings
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All other community families
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