Harlem Child Development Center

See our Child Development Center Re-Opening plan for the 2020-2021 School Year (Download the PDF)

The Harlem Child Development Center offers an outpatient clinic, a therapeutic nursery school, early childhood consultation to community based settings, and a special education itinerant teacher program for children ages 2-6 with a range of developmental, neurological and/or emotional and behavioral problems. Children in our services have specific language and learning challenges, pervasive developmental disorder, autistic spectrum disorder, as well as behavioral and emotional difficulties. Individual and group services for families and caregivers are also provided.

Therapeutic Nursery School

For children 3 to 5 years of age presenting with developmental delays, communication problems, social/emotional/behavioral difficulties, or attention and learning deficits. A highly structured small group classroom (8:1:2) helps them build self-esteem, develop relationships, and become effective learners. Individualized mandated therapies, including speech and language, occupational, physical, play, and music, are provided. An interdisciplinary team approach, inclusive of the family, promotes best practices for understanding the child’s challenges and strengths. (NYSED and NYC DOE funded)

Early Childhood Consultation

Specialists in child/family development provide ongoing, on-site consultation to private and public preschools. Consultants observe children, meet with directors and teachers, conduct workshops, and offer parent guidance, including child development referrals for assessment and services when needed.

Virginia and Leonard Marx Outpatient Clinic

Serves families with infants, toddlers, and children through elementary school age. The clinic offers evaluations and treatment planning; parent-child psychotherapy; individual, family, and group therapy; and family guidance. These services help children and families overcome such challenges as difficult behaviors; social/emotional problems; sensory integration disorder; reactions to family changes of separation, divorce, illness, domestic violence, and trauma; as well as school difficulties and developmental delays. (Medicaid and private insurance accepted; sliding scale for uninsured; NYC DOE CPSE evaluation site.)

Community Music Making

Thursdays, 11:30am—12:10pm on Zoom

Are you a new parent? Sharing music with your new little one is a great way to strengthen your connection to one another while supporting your little one’s social emotional development and overall well-being. The Jewish Board’s Harlem Child Development Center (HCDC) welcomes you and your little one to Harlem Music for Us, our new community music making group for families.

Harlem Music For Us is a free drop-in, family-centered, therapeutic community music making group focused on early childhood development. In adherence to COVID safety precautions, Harlem Music for Us is currently a virtual group for parents and their little ones ages birth to 5 years old. We hope this family-centered community music making group will support the general health and well-being of the whole family. We will make music together using songs and everyday objects found in your home. Music For Us is also designed to strengthen community ties by giving families space to meet new families they may not have known before.

Harlem Music For Us happens on Thursdays from 11:30am – 12:10pm. For more information and to register for the group, please email hcdccommunitymusic@jbfcs.org.

Circle of Security Parenting Group

Tuesdays, 4-5pm on Zoom

Are you the caregiver of a child between the ages of 0-8 years old? Are you looking for a chance to be in connection with other parents and caregivers? Are you hoping to explore practical parenting tips to strengthen your relationship with your child?

The Jewish Board is offering free parenting groups using The Circle of Security Parenting™ program, a model based on decades of research about how secure parent-child relationships can be supported and strengthened.

Learning Objectives of the Group:

  • Understand your child’s emotional world by learning to read their emotional needs.
  • Support your child’s ability to successfully manage emotions.
  • Enhance the development of your child’s self-esteem.
  • Honor your innate wisdom and desire for your child to be secure.

Groups are FREE of charge and no insurance is necessary. Cycles last for 12 weeks.

For more information and to register for the group, please contact Juliana Stevenson, LCSW by emailing jstevenson@jbfcs.org or by calling (929) 322-4591.