Inclusive Child Care & Preschool

 
The image shows two young children playing indoors on a black padded mat. In the foreground, a child with short hair and a big smile is wearing a light brown t-shirt with colorful cartoon graphics and black shorts. His left foot is off the ground, su
The image captures a smiling baby sitting at a table engaging in a painting activity. The baby, wearing a green oversized shirt with blue text partially visible, is holding a foam paintbrush dipped in red paint. The brush is being used to paint on a
The image portrays a young child seated in a wheelchair. The child has short curly hair and is smiling broadly, looking directly at the camera. The wheelchair has a black backrest and light pink cushioned armrests. The child is wearing a light turquo
The image depicts a young child seated on a red tricycle, positioned on a wide, paved area. The child is grinning broadly and wearing a black helmet over medium-length blonde hair. They are dressed in a bright orange shirt featuring a colorful graphi
The image portrays a young child with dark, curly hair standing in a sandbox area at an outdoor playground. The child is dressed in a black T-shirt and black pants and is smiling at the camera. They are holding sand in their hands, allowing it to fal
The image features a young child with long, light brown hair, wearing an orange sleeveless outfit. The child is smiling and appears to be playing with an object out of frame. Behind the child, there is a colorful alphabet chart displayed on a dark bl
The image shows a young child outdoors on a sunny day, standing on a grassy area next to a concrete path. The child is making a playful expression with a wide smile, showing teeth, and holding both hands up near the sides of their head, fingers splay
The image features a young boy sitting on a wooden bench. The bench has an ornamental backrest with intricate, carved designs. The boy is wearing a bright red t-shirt with colorful graphics and text, blue jeans, and black slip-on shoes. He is smiling
The image portrays a young child, likely a toddler, standing at a sensory play table filled with dark-colored beans. The child has shoulder-length brown hair and is wearing a red shirt with small apple graphics. The child is smiling and holding a blu
The image shows a young child with curly, light brown hair, leaning on some cushioned, rectangular objects. The child is looking directly into the camera, smiling brightly, with sunlight illuminating part of their face. They are wearing a green shirt

At Hand in Hand, we encourage discovery, creativity, development and exploration in a safe, secure, relationship-based environment. We believe that children should be allowed to gain confidence as they experience success, regardless of ability.


To meet this objective, we stimulate each child to think, reason, and problem solve in a welcoming and inclusive environment. We strive to acknowledge each child's identity while instilling a sense of respect and appreciation for others. ​ Each classroom offers a daily schedule with a balance between inside and outside play, active and quiet times, and teacher led and self-initiated exploration. Hand in Hand uses Teaching Strategies Creative Curriculum in each of our early leaning classrooms.


Hand in Hand's inclusive child care program is licensed by the State of Iowa and has earned a rating of 4 on the Iowa Quality Rating System. We participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), which ensures participants are served nutritious meals and snacks while in our child care program.

Hand in Hand's inclusive full day child care program is unique in the Quad Cities. Many childcare facilities can't accommodate every child's needs or adapt activities for different abilities, but that's exactly what we pride ourselves on!

We accept:

  • State of Iowa Childcare Assistance

  • State of Illinois Childcare Assistance

  • Medicaid Waiver

  • Military Fee Assistance Program

  • Private Pay

Infant Room

Three classroom teachers serve 12 children ages 6 weeks-20 months in a nurturing, playful environment. Discovery and imagination are encouraged using teacher directed and self-initiated play.

Toddler Room

Two classroom teachers serve 10 children ages 20 months-3 years old. Skill acquisition across multiple domains is encouraged using Creative Curriculum across all classrooms.

Three Year Old Room

Two classroom teachers serve 18 children ages 3-4 year old.  Creative Curriculum encourages children to investigate and learn from everyday items while ensuring whole-child development.

Preschool Room

Three classroom teachers serve 20 children from 4 – 5 years old.  During the regular scheduled school year we partner with the Pleasant Valley School District for the Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program which is taught by a licensed teacher.  Creative Curriculum encourages using play and socialization to help children of all abilities to develop knowledge, skills, initiative, and the ability to regulate behavior and resolve conflicts.

Full-day, five-day preschool programs are available at Hand in Hand Bettendorf for children four to five years old.

Children who turn four years old on or before September 15th  can participate in  Iowa's Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program as part of our full day wraparound care in partnership with Pleasant Valley Schools!

Iowa’s Statewide Voluntary Preschool Program for Four-year-Old Children (SWVPP) is an important part of the state’s comprehensive early childhood effort, providing more opportunities for young children to access quality preschool and enter school ready to learn.

The preschool program is part of each child’s day at Hand in Hand and is led by a licensed teacher in their classroom, reducing the need for additional transitions and transportation to and from programs!

Kindergarten readiness is a term used to refer to a child’s readiness to make a successful transition into kindergarten. Hand in Hand’s preschool programs support the development of social/emotional skills, physical development, language development, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking skills to ready your child for a successful kindergarten experience.

The SWVPP operates September – June, but Hand in Hand is open year round!

Interested in signing up for our preschool program? Contact Jennifer, our Director of Programs

Our Nature Explore Playground

Nature Explore’s mission is to help transform children’s lives through meaningful, daily connections with nature. Children can often have a growing disconnection with nature due to a lack of access to green space, being occupied with TV and video games, or fear of stranger danger. Having access to nature facilitates social development and well-being, improves physical fitness, supports creativity and imaginative play, promotes collaboration, reduces stress, and creates empathy for plants and animals. The Nature Explore outdoor classroom benefits our participants by building their critical thinking, problem solving, language and literacy, visual-spatial thinking, as well as their construction, language, and math skills.

The new outdoor classroom comes equipped with an open area for large motor activities, a climbing and crawling area, a “messy materials” area, a building area, a nature art area, a music and movement area, a garden, a gathering space, and a storage area. Within these areas we have water play, a dirt-digging section, sand boxes, a hill slide, and a wheeled-toy area. We really wanted our participants to learn through play and really be able to touch things and not be afraid to get dirty.

Accessibility was also another important aspect of the new outdoor space. Our old playground was very difficult for participants in wheelchairs to navigate and often was difficult for them to climb and use all the play space. The space could also be a bit overwhelming. Nature Explore allowed us to customize the playground to our preferences. Our hill slide area isn’t just a regular slide but is built into the hill so it’s much easier to climb up on. We also added ramps, railings, sensory spots, and a path to allow for easy navigation. Now the space is much more open and calming.

The image shows a child standing in a playground sandbox. The child has short, dark curly hair and is wearing a black T-shirt and dark pants. They are holding a small green plastic object in their right hand and pouring sand with both hands. The chil
The image shows three young children standing side by side outdoors, playing with a large wooden xylophone. The xylophone is positioned in the foreground and is made of light-colored wooden planks placed horizontally. The children each hold a mallet
The image shows two young girls sitting on a light gray concrete surface outdoors, smiling and playing with colorful stacking toys. Behind them, there is a wooden piece of furniture with four drawers that appear to be partially open, containing vario
This image depicts an outdoor playground scene. In the foreground, a young girl with blonde hair is balancing on a wooden balance beam. She is wearing a light pink, sleeveless dress and silver sneakers. The ground is covered with wood chips, providin
The image shows a young child watering a small plant in an outdoor garden area on a sunny day. The child, with light brown hair, is wearing a gray shirt featuring colorful cartoon characters, red shorts, and black sneakers. The child is holding a gre
The image depicts three young children sitting on a wooden bench in an outdoor setting. The bench is positioned against a background of beige brick walls with a horizontal stripe of grey bricks. The bench has a slatted seat and backrest, displaying a
The image shows three young children playing on a green plastic slide at an outdoor playground. One child is sliding down, facing towards the camera with a joyful expression. This child, wearing a cream-colored tank top and matching shorts, is lying
The image depicts a young boy, dressed in a long-sleeved top with the words "LITTLE EXPLORER" and a graphic of a jeep in black ink on the front. The boy is standing at a tan plastic water play table outdoor and is enthusiastically smiling at the came
The image portrays an outdoor gardening scene involving three individuals. Two young boys are focused on a rectangular planter filled with dark soil and blooming flowers, such as pink and red petunias. One boy, wearing a blue T-shirt, is holding a b
The image features a young child standing outdoors playing with a water activity table. The child has light brown hair and is wearing a green camo T-shirt. The table is beige and filled with water and various floating objects, such as a purple plasti
The image shows two boys sitting on wooden Adirondack chairs. The boy on the left has light-colored hair and is wearing a green shirt and blue jeans. He has one arm resting on the armrest and the other hand near his mouth. The boy on the right has da
The image shows a young girl wearing a long-sleeve shirt with a colorful mermaid scale pattern and shorts. She is seated on a wooden surface outside, surrounded by playground equipment and greenery. Her expression is one of joy, with a wide, happy sm

Interested in learning more about our childcare programs? Contact us to learn more!