WHO WE ARE
The UW Child Development Lab (CDL) is a laboratory preschool housed in the School of Human Ecology that provides year-round, high quality early education programs for children ages 6 weeks to 5 years. Our program focuses on learning through a 4-step process: Notice. Wonder. Explore. Discover.
WHAT WE DO
The CDL’s mission is to not only provide high quality early education programs for children, but to also improve early childhood development through our trifold mission: Research, Teaching, & Outreach. Check out our Annual Report for more information.
WHY WE DO IT
Research indicates that the most effective time to affect a child’s future is from birth through age 8. Our goal at the Child Development Lab is to be a national and international leader in the ecology of child well-being. We want to improve the lives of children, early childhood educators, and families through best practice and research, and share our findings with the world.
Accreditations
NECPA Accreditation |
Young Star Rating of Five Stars |
Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Provider by the Wisconsin Breastfeeding Coalition |
Licensed by the State of Wisconsin |
Accredited by City of Madison |
CDL Hours of Operation
2024-25 – 7:30am-5:30pm | Monday – Friday
Events
- Friday, December 20th, 2024: CDL Early Close at 3:30pm
- December 23rd, 2024-January 3rd, 2025: CDL Closed for Winter Break
- Monday, January 6th, 2025: UW CDL is open with interim hours of 8:30am-5:00pm until Friday, January 17th, 2025.
- Monday, January 20th, 2025: CDL Closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day
- Tuesday, January 21st, 2025: CDL open regular hours – 7:30am-5:30pm.
Taking Risks
Check out this recent video about the value of risk taking in children’s play, created by CDL teachers. Research tells us that children start developing risk-management skills at an early age, and the CDL values providing developmentally-appropriate risk taking opportunities to children through our teaching philosophy and play environments.
Visit our Outreach page for more information on the CDL’s mission to share the knowledge we gain with others.