Several terms are used for the early childhood education programs provided by Catholic schools in the Albany Diocese. The difference in terms, however, does not indicate a difference in the program being offered.
The term used by the diocesan Catholic School Office for the educational programs offered to three- and four-year-olds in school is "early childhood education." However, some parishes refer to programs for three-year-olds as "nursery" or "pre-Kindergarten 3." Programs for three-year-olds are geared mostly toward socialization rather than the development of cognitive skills. Programs for four-year-olds are known as "pre-Kindergarten" programs.
Daycare programs are different from early childhood education programs. Daycare programs exist primarily for full-time supervision, although sometimes they provide educational components. (MM)