The Velma Thomas Early Childhood Center is a Chicago Public School (CPS) Child Parent Center program located in the McKinley Park neighborhood on Chicago’s near Southwest side. 

Our curriculum is influenced by the Reggio-Emilia Approach to Early Childhood Education which calls for parents, teachers and children to actively engage in the practice of collaborative learning. 

We recently became one of the first preschools to receive our dual language accreditation from CPS. We are rated an ISBE "Award of Excellence in Preschool Teaching and Learning" and a CPS "Arts Excelling" school.