Our Impact

TLC Learning Center provides foundations for life-long success in children through our fully inclusive early childhood education programs and pediatric therapy programs. Our classrooms serve children both with and without special needs and from both low-income and affluent backgrounds. Early childhood best practice research states that inclusive, diverse classrooms are the ideal learning environment for children to build foundational social, emotional, and cognitive skills.

We offer full and partial scholarships to families, with availability dependent on our fundraising efforts. We partner with the Colorado Preschool Program (CPP) and the Colorado Childcare Assistance Program (CCAP) to further serve children from low-income backgrounds. We are the only pediatric therapy clinic in Longmont to accept Medicaid in addition to most major insurance plans, enabling us to serve a broad demographic of children in need of health services.

Educational Services:

Student Achievement:

Beginning in 2013-2014, all preschool student achievement and growth data was collected online through Teaching Strategies GOLD virtual portfolios.  The Educational Services Manager collected data for the TLC Board in August 2014 which included:  percentage of TLC students leaving for kindergarten who were “kindergarten ready” based on Literacy and Math (achievement), and percentage of students who were meeting or were above the expected growth range. This growth data was aggregated by age (3-4 year olds, and pre-kindergarten/4-5 year olds).  The growth data was collected in each of the following areas: social-emotional, physical, language, cognitive, literacy, and mathematics. The following results are indicative of the strength of TLC's preschool programs:

  • Achievement data: Of the eleven students who left TLC at the end of 2014 to enter kindergarten, 94% were “kindergarten-ready” based on math and literacy data.

  • Growth data: In the 3-4 year old group, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding growth expectations was between 87% (language) and 96% (social emotional). In the 4-5 year old group, the percentage of students meeting or exceeding growth expectations was between 94% (literacy & mathematics) and 100% (cognitive and social-emotional.

  • Sample objectives data from TLC infants, toddlers, and preschoolers:
    Objective: regulates own emotions and behaviors: Below = 41% Meeting = 56% Exceeding = 3%
    Objective: establishes and sustains positive relationships: Below = 41% Meeting = 44% Exceeding = 15%
    Objective: Participates cooperatively and constructively in group situations: Below = 32% Meeting = 58% Exceeding = 11%
    Objective: Demonstrates traveling skills: Below = 33% Meeting = 59% Exceeding = 8%
    Objective: Demonstrates gross-motor manipulative skills: Below = 38% Meeting = 56% Exceeding = 5%
    Objective: Demonstrates fine-motor strength and coordination: Below = 26% Meeting = 69% Exceeding = 5%
    Objective: Listens to and understands increasingly complex language: Below = 28% Meeting = 72% Exceeding = 0
    Objective: Uses language to express thoughts and needs: Below = 31% Meeting = 64% Exceeding = 5%
    Objective: Demonstrates knowledge of the alphabet: Below = 16% Meeting = 71% Exceeding = 13%
    Objective: Demonstrates emergent writing skills: Below = 23% Meeting = 67% Exceeding = 10%

The virtual portfolios allow teachers, aides, and parents to easily access a child’s progress and identify areas of increased attention for further development. We are very proud of the progress of our students, and believe the overall achievements of TLC’s students are especially significant when one considers that about 40% of the student population consists of children with diagnosed disabilities. These children need additional support in one or more of the following areas: social-emotional (behavioral), motor (occupational and/ or physical therapy, or speech/language.

Financial Assistance: 

TLC served 94 children ages birth to six in our education program in the 2014-2015 school year. Fifty-three percent of our students received scholarship assistance, enabling children in need to enroll in TLC classrooms. TLC's partnership with the Colorado Preschool Program (CPP) and the Colorado Childcare Assistance Program (CCAP), TLC was able to serve more children with financial aid than ever before.  Funding for scholarships comes from our donors, fundraising events, and grants. 

Pediatric Therapy Services:

TLC occupational, physical, and speech therapies are provided to Boulder County children ages birth to 12. TLC therapists see children on-site, in hospitals, and in children's homes. TLC visits new mothers at Longmont United Hospital to provide lactation counseling. TLC is one of the only providers in Longmont to accept Medicaid, enabling us to see children from low-income families who would otherwise have to travel long distances to receive pediatric therapy services. TLC also provides financial assistance for therapeutic services based on availability. Funding for financial assistance comes from individual donors, fundraising events, and grants.

Children receiving pediatric therapy have individual goals mapped by Plans of Care created by therapists following a child's initial evaluation. Goals vary from child-to-child, and can range from learning to properly pronounce the letter "S" to learning to walk without surgical intervention. 

Boulder County Nonprofits:

When you support a nonprofit, you are supporting people and animals in need as well as the local economy. CU’s Leeds School of Business conducted a study looking at 53 Boulder County human services nonprofits. These agencies, including TLC Learning Center, directly employed 1,349 people and provided $162.5 million in services.

This in turn yielded $254.8 million in overall economic benefit, including 2,147 jobs and $124.1 million in wages. When looking at the total value added to the GDP by agency operations, these nonprofit human services agencies were responsible for $142 million of the $19.3 billion local economy. Wow!

So when you support TLC through program gifts, scholarship grants, and more, you are also supporting the Boulder County economy, as well as all of the directors, teachers, accountants, fundraisers, health care providers, receptionists, cooks, drivers, and more who make nonprofit services possible. Thank you!