The CSUB Children’s Center opened in September, 1976, after a group of students raised $4,500 to start the program. The Center began with fourteen children, one classroom, one director-teacher and ten part-time student aides. From 1976-1986, the Children’s Center grew from one to three classrooms, serving ninety children with three full-time teachers and fifteen student aides. In 1986, the Center became the first child care and development program in Kern County to receive accreditation through the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs. Also in 1986, the Center’s Parent Advisory Committee developed a ten-year plan that included a larger playground area.

The Center grew again when the CSUB Foundation Board approved a loan (with $20,000 of the Center’s fundraising monies as down payment) to finance construction of the fourth classroom. By 1992, the Center had outgrown it’s existing structures and the Foundation Board approved another loan to build the fifth classroom, which replaced a leased mobile unit. Both loans are now paid in full. To accommodate the growing number of children, the kitchen/bathroom facility was built in 1995, completing the Parent Advisory Committee’s ten-year plan.

To celebrate the Children’s Center 20th anniversary, a Parent Alumni Committee was established with a goal to raise money for outdoor play equipment. During the 1996/97 academic school year, they successfully raised $31,000 and the much anticipated outdoor playground became a reality.

In recent years, eighteen trees were planted to shade the new playground equipment. Also, during this period, the Center received five “Instructional Materials and Supplies” grants which has considerably enhanced the curriculum for the children. The Center received its fourth national accreditation in Spring quarter, 2000 and very successfully met the high standards for quality child development services. The Center’s enrollment has mirrored the University’s growth, with over 150 children enrolled annually. Lastly, the Center is currently planning for a new access and entrance area, in order to offer safe access within the revised University traffic patterns.