Future Families
Welcome to the CDLL
Thank you for your interest in the Child Development and Learning Lab. We encourage families to tour the lab and read through our Reggio Emilia philosophy before applying.
About the program
- Eligible to 3 and 4-year old children in a four-day program from 8:45 am-3:15 pm Monday through Thursday.
- The CDLL runs on the same calendar schedule as the University.
- Approximately 60% of the spots are allocated for Head Start eligible children.
- The EightCAP, Inc. Agency is responsible for the Head Start enrollment. If you think your income may qualify for a Head Start spot, please fill out an application or call (989) 772-0110 ext. 113. Enrollment for Head Start is open year-round.
- If you are interested in a 3-year-old spot either in our Head Start or tuition program for the Fall 2025 year, your child must be 3 years old by September 1, 2025.
- If you are interested in a 4-year-old spot in our Head Start or tuition program for the Fall 2025 year, your child must be 4 years old by September 1, 2025.
Enrollment process
The application for our tuition program for the 2025-2026 school year will open the first Monday in February at 6:00 p.m.
Enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year has now closed.
Once the applications have filled the designated number of spots for enrollment, the rest of the applications will move to the waitlist.
Approximately 60% of our total spots are funded through a grant from Head Start. EightCAP, Inc handles enrollment for Head Start. The remaining tuition-paid spots are filled by returning children first (meaning if they are here this year as a three-year-old and will return next year as a four-year-old). Many factors go into our enrollment process and we reserve the right to review each application.
You must inform us of any changes to your child's contact information. If your child is not enrolled as a 3-year-old or if you prefer for them to wait until they are 4, you will now need to re-submit an application the following enrollment period.
The waitlist does not move from year to year. An application must be completed during each enrollment period.
As stated in the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct P-1.3:
We shall not participate in practices that discriminate against children by denying benefits, giving special advantages, or excluding them from programs or activities on the basis of their sex, race, national origin, immigration status, preferred home language, religious beliefs, medical condition, disability, or the marital status/family structure, sexual orientation, or religious beliefs or other affiliations of their families. (Aspects of this principle do not apply in programs that have a lawful mandate to provide services to a particular population of children.)
