Community Goals

For many families, the North Iowa Children's Discovery Center will simply be a great place for young children to play year-round. However, beneath the surface are a variety of programming and community wellness goals for families with young children.  Read on and learn more:

Community Goals

1.  To provide a safe, secure play area for young children, including:
  1. A space with with no breakable or harmful items
  2. A secured area where a child can’t wander away on their own
  3. An ethic of kindness in all child and adult interactions

2.  To provide adequate space for different modes of play, including large-motor exercise, fine-motor coordination, experiential and imaginative play

3.  To provide a space in which to practice essential life and social skills, such as:
  1. Cooperation, sharing, and conflict resolution
  2. Inclusivity and diversity awareness
  3. Bullying awareness and prevention

4. To foster community, connection, and provide support to parents/caregivers by:
  1. Creating physical spaces which foster conversation among parents
  2. Postpartum and parenting support groups
  3. Child abuse prevention and parenting skills trainings

5. To provide a ‘launchpad’ for additional community outreach and children’s advocacy by:
  1. Partnering with agencies that provide services to children (health and wellness, social services, cultural and recreational programs)
  2. Resources and referrals for families at-risk or in crisis
  3. Recruitment and awareness about foster parenting and adoption

6. To foster total child/family well-being by programming to support:
  1. Early Literacy and Problem-Solving Skills (“STREAM”)
  2. Healthy parent-child relationships and pediatric/family mental health and well-being
  3. Healthy lifestyles through physical exercise space and nutritional education


7. To increase the level of cooperation and collegiality among child service providers by:

  1. Providing a venue for regular gatherings for networking and ideas exchange
  2. Providing a venue for shared continuing education and professional development
  3. Partnering to reach at-risk families who face barriers to accessing services