About Us
Learning Powered by Play
Many adults see play as simply fun—but take a closer look, and you’ll see something remarkable: while your child is playing, they are also hard at work.
Play is how children explore their world, make sense of new ideas, and practice important life skills.
At MDOW, we see play as the heart of joyful, meaningful learning. It’s not just what we do—it’s how children grow into confident, curious, and capable learners ready for the world ahead.
Since 1995, MDOW Early Learning Center has been a cherished part of the Oella community.
Offering a play-based preschool experience where children can grow, explore, and thrive. But our story begins even earlier—back in 1974, when Emanuel United Methodist Church launched a small outreach program for 20 children, open just on Thursdays from 9 AM to 3 PM. The program quickly became so popular it expanded to Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
By 1976, we introduced “The Fabulous Friday Fours”, a full-day program for twenty 4- and 5-year-olds—and by 1981, Mondays were added to the schedule, making it a full week of early learning fun!
The origins of our beloved Smiley and Heart classrooms come from a simple idea: to help the youngest children identify their groups easily. Twos wore smiley face name tags and headed to music, while the older kids with heart name tags stayed in the classroom for projects—then they would switch!
In 1995
As the program grew, we moved to our current home at the Westchester Community Center and officially became Mother’s Day Out of Westchester, a nonprofit preschool dedicated to early childhood development.
In 2025
We updated our name to MDOW Early Learning Center to better reflect who we are today—a vibrant community where play is the heart of learning.
At MDOW, we believe in the power of play. Our nurturing teachers create a safe, supportive, and joyful environment where every child feels excited to learn and explore. We are honored that many of our alumni now return as parents, entrusting us with the next generation of curious, creative learners.
